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Human-animal embryo study
wins approval
Ian Sample
London
Guardian
Tuesday September 4, 2007
Plans to allow British scientists to create human-animal embryos
are expected to be approved tomorrow by the government's fertility
regulator. The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority published
its long-awaited public consultation on the controversial research
yesterday, revealing that a majority of people were "at ease"
with scientists creating the hybrid embryos.
Researchers want to create hybrid embryos by merging human cells
with animal eggs, in the hope they will be able to extract valuable
embryonic stem cells from them. The cells form the basic building
blocks of the body and are expected to pave the way for revolutionary
therapies for diseases such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and even
spinal cord injuries.
The consultation papers were released ahead of the authority's
final decision on the matter, which will mark the end of almost
a year of intense lobbying by scientists and a fervent campaign
by organisations opposed to research involving embryonic stem
cells.
(Article continues below)
Using animal eggs will allow researchers to push ahead unhindered
by the shortage of human eggs. Under existing laws, the embryos
must be destroyed after 14 days when they are no bigger than a
pinhead, and cannot be implanted into the womb.
Opponents of the research and some religious groups say the work
blurs the distinction between humans and animals, and creates
embryos that are destined to be destroyed when stem cells are
extracted from them.
Two research groups based at King's College London and Newcastle
University have already applied to the HFEA to create animal-human
embryos, but their applications have been on hold since November
last year amid confusion over whether the authority was legally
able to issue licences.
If the authority approves the research, the applications will
go forward to a committee, with a decision on both due within
three months.
Professor Ian Wilmut, whose team cloned Dolly the sheep, is waiting
for the HFEA's decision before applying to create hybrid embryos
to study motor neurone disease with Professor Chris Shaw at the
Institute of Psychiatry in London.
The consultation, a £150,000, three-month mix of opinion
polls, public meetings and debates, found participants were initially
cautious of merging animal and human material, but became more
positive. "When further factual information was provided
and further discussion took place, the majority of participants
became more at ease with the idea," the HFEA's report says.
Most support was expressed for the creation of so-called cytoplasmic
hybrid embryos, in which a human cell is inserted into an empty
animal egg. Other hybrid embryos, such as those created by fertilising
an animal egg with human sperm, or vice versa, were less well
supported.
In December, the government sparked a revolt by scientists, patient
groups and medical researchers when it published a white paper
containing proposals to outlaw almost all research into animal-human
embryos. The research has since been backed by Nobel prizewinners,
the Medical Research Council, the Wellcome Trust, the Commons
science and technology committee, and the government's chief science
adviser, Sir David King.
In May, the government withdrew its opposition in a draft fertility
bill and now seeks to outlaw only embryos created by mixing sperm
and eggs from humans and animals. The bill will be put before
parliament before the end of the year.
Martin Rees, president of the Royal Society, said: "The
HFEA's consultation reveals welcome recognition of the potential
of this research, [with] 61% of the general public agreeing with
the creation of human-animal embryos, if it may help understand
diseases, with only a quarter opposed to this research."
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