[Human eggs too delicate & too few. Dr. Cibelli (MSU/ACT) tried this
in the mid-1990s)
UK to Allow Stem Cell Human-Animal Hybrid Research
While Many Hail the Ruling, Critics Warn of Resulting Mutant Creatures
Last week, Britain made a landmark decision that allows researchers
to use animal eggs in the creation of human stem cells.
The ruling, laid down by the Human Fertilization and Embryology
Authority, makes Britain the first country in the world to explicitly
enable scientists to use human-animal hybrid embryos for research.
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Hybrid embryos are banned in the United States, Australia, and
Canada. Several countries in Europe, meanwhile, either allow
scientists to only work on pre-existing embryos, or ban embryo
research, altogether.
In an interview with ABC News, a spokeswoman from the HFEA said that
the organization had carried out a detailed consultation with the
public before its ruling.
"We found that, once people understood the science behind hybrid
embryos, they changed their views," she said.
The Science Behind the New Embryos
The plan involves taking an animal egg, usually from a cow or a
rabbit, removing most of its own DNA content, and injecting human DNA
into the empty animal egg. The resulting egg would then contain 13
animal genes compared with 20,000 to 25,000 human genes.
After scientists use a tiny jolt of electricity to encourage the egg
to divide, it becomes an embryo in its earliest stages.
It is from such embryos that British scientists plan to extract stem
cells — cells capable of developing into any human tissue.
Experts argue that using animal eggs filled with human DNA taken from
a person suffering from a disease like Alzheimer's, for example,
would allow them to study the resulting stem cells to see how the
disease develops.
At present, researchers rely on a limited stock of human eggs left
over from in vitro fertilization treatment. The HFEA ruling is
expected to make it easier for scientists to conduct their research,
without being dependent on a scarce supply of eggs.
Currently, two teams, from King's College London and Newcastle
University, have applications pending with the HFEA, which has said
that permission to develop hybrid embryos will be decided on a case-
by-case basis.
(4 pages total, for more - visit the link)
http://www.abcnews.
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StemCells subscribers may also be interested in these sites:
Children's Neurobiological Solutions
http://www.CNSfoundation.org/
Cord Blood Registry
http://www.CordBlood.com/at.cgi?a=150123
The CNS Healing Group
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CNS_Healing
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