.......American scientists are using tissue from aborted babies in genetically engineered mice to study how certain diseases are spread, and the experiments are being paid for with U.S. tax dollars...Over the years, thousands of "SCID-hu" mice (pronounced skid-hew) have been bred for experimentation purposes, making the animal-human hybrid -- or "chimera" -- a hot commodity for researchers......

By Pete Winn, CNSNews.com Senior Staff Writer, November 28, 2007

It's not clear how much fetal tissue is used or how it is supplied. Scientists involved in some of the research at the National Institutes of Health refused to speak with Cybercast News Service about their work.

The experiments started 20 years ago, when scientists first began implanting or injecting a mouse without an immune system with human cells or tissue to study diseases, such as HIV/AIDS and certain cancers. While some of the cells and tissue comes from adults, much of it comes from babies aborted at 17-23 weeks' gestation. It is legal, but controversial and not well known outside of research circles.

Over the years, thousands of "SCID-hu" mice (pronounced skid-hew) have been bred for experimentation purposes, making the animal-human hybrid -- or "chimera" -- a hot commodity for researchers.

SCID-who?

The SCID-hu mouse originally was created in 1988 by Stanford researcher J. Michael McCune. SCID stands for "severe combined immuno-deficiency." "Hu" stands for human. The mouse itself is not considered to be controversial.......TO CONTINUE, CLICK ON TITLE.....