A Japanese researcher says the government has approved experiments that aim to grow human organs in animals. Scientist Hiromitsu Nakauchi recently confirmed the approval to Japan’s Asahi Shimbun newspaper. Nakauchi leads a research team at the Institute of Medical Science of the University of Tokyo. He also heads a stem cell research center at Stanford University in California. Nakauchi’s research centers on creating animal embryos that contain human cells. His team sought approval to grow human cells in animal embryos and then implant them into the uterus of animals. The goal of the research is to use animals to grow full-grown organs that could be used in human medical treatments. If successful, such organs could fill a great need for humans who need organ replacement operations.