talk.environment

http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2007/sep/04/stem.cell.research

Human-animal embryo study wins approval
Mixing cells and eggs to be allowed in search for new medical
treatments
Ian Sample, science correspondent
The 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.

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 =A3150,000, 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."