Tell the truth — you really didn’t think they wouldn’t do it, did you?

First animal-human embryo trials to go ahead

Experiments to create Britain’s first embryos that merge human and animal material will begin within months after a Government watchdog today approved two research teams to carry out the controversial work.

Scientists at King’s College London and the University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne will now inject human DNA into empty eggs from cows, to create embryos known as cytoplasmic hybrids that are 99.9 per cent human in genetic terms.

The experiments are intended to provide insights into diseases such as Parkinson’s and spinal muscular atrophy by producing stem cells containing genetic defects that contribute to these conditions.

These will be used as cell models for investigating new approaches to treatment and for improving understanding of how embryonic stem cells develop. They will not be used in therapy, and it is illegal to implant them into the womb.
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The creation of human-animal embryos will be explicitly permitted by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill currently passing through Parliament, subject to HFEA licensing. An amendment that would have blocked such research was defeated in the House of Lords on Monday by a majority of 172.

Stephen Minger, who leads the King’s team, said yesterday he was delighted that he would finally be able to start the experiments. “I am pleased that the HFEA has finally after a year and a half realised the importance that the work that we and the group from Newcastle have been licensed for,” he said.

“[I]t is illegal to implant them into the womb.”

Oh, ya betcha! That’ll sure stop ‘em from doin’ that . . . Let’s see, if we cross an armadillo, a gorilla and a Norseman — we might just get ourselves a super-warrior. If it can be thought — it’ll eventually be done. All in the name of treating disease, of course. I won’t even ask, “Is nothing sacred?” In the secular world of science, there is no “sacred”.

Technorati Tags: King’s College London, University of Newcastle, cytoplasmic hybrids, HFEA

This entry was posted on Thursday, January 17th, 2008 at 11:20 am and is filed under A Future For Mankind?, Blinded by Science. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.  |   Print This Post  |   Email This Post

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