9 Movie Mad Scientists That Might Have Been Onto Something

Okay, technically, gene splicing wasn't really the aim of The Fly, but that's what happened anyway. Aren't all the best creations invented by accident? (Don't think about that statement too much, it was mainly hyperbole.)

Actually crossing humans with other animals isn't exactly a super squeaky clean moral area, and their are even governmental acts in place to prevent experimentation with human chimeras.

However, gene splicing in other animals could well be a viable solution to the organ shortage and long transplant waiting lists, if we can figure out a way to simply grow human organs in the bodies of other animals.

Perhaps the furthest we've ever got with this is in the genetic modification of pigs, causing them to grow organs that are suitable for humans transplant. Pigs are ideal because they're, biologically speaking, already pretty similar to humans. The only problem is that they produce an enzyme that humans don't, causing the humans body to reject purely porcine organs. This might not be a problem for long though as the same company that produced Dolly the Sheep has so far managed to clone five pigs genetically modified to not produce the enzyme, making their organs ideal for human transplantation.

Would you take a pig's heart?*

*No, we don't mean romantically. Looking at you, David Cameron.