The first hybrids of Britain
We have created human-animal embryos already, say British teamMark Henderson, The Times, April 2, 2008
Translation: InopressaA month before the vote in the House of Commons on new legislation regulating research activities, embryos combining human and animal material were created for the first time in the UK.
Scientists at the University of Newcastle yesterday reported the successful creation of a mixed embryo through the introduction of human DNA into cow eggs. This is the first experiment of its kind in the UK.
The House of Commons will discuss the bill on human fertilization and embryology next month. Legislators were promised a free vote on the articles of the law allowing mixed embryos. But their creation is already allowed under a license from the Human Fertilization and Embryology Administration (HFEA).
A group of Newcastle University scientists led by Lyle Armstrong received one of the first two licenses in January. The second one went to a group of scientists from King's College in London, headed by Professor Stefan Minger. If approved by Parliament, the new bill will give them an official status.
The idea of mixed embryos has been widely supported by researchers and patients, as it allows the creation of powerful stem cell models for the study of diseases such as Parkinson's disease and diabetes, as well as for the development of new drugs.
At the same time, this idea was opposed by some religious institutions, in particular the Roman Catholic Church. Cardinal Keith O'Brian, the head of the Catholic Church in Scotland, last month called these developments "experiments on the scale of Frankenstein."
Mixed embryos developed by scientists at Newcastle University belong to a species known as cytoplasmic hybrids, or hybrids, they are created by placing the nucleus of a human cell in a cow's egg, from which its own nucleus has been removed. The genetic material of the resulting embryo is 99.9% human.
According to the BBC, the hybrids created by scientists from Newcastle lived for three days, and the largest of them grew to 32 cells. The ultimate goal is to extend their life to six days and then extract embryonic stem cells for use in research.
When the technique is tested, scientists hope to create hybrids from the DNA of patients with genetic diseases. The resulting stem cells can be used as models of diseases to form a correct understanding of their course and to test new methods of treatment.
It is already prohibited to create mixed cells for a period of more than 14 days or to implant them in the wombs of a woman or an animal, these prohibitions will also remain in the new law.
The use of cow eggs is associated with a shortage of human eggs. The extraction of female eggs for research is associated with ethical difficulties, besides, such donation involves some risk for a woman.
Professor John Byrne, a scientist at the Newcastle team, told the BBC: "This is a licensed work that has been thoroughly vetted. The process is underway, and we are dealing with a group of cells that will never continue to develop. This is a laboratory process, and these embryos will never be implanted to anyone. There are preliminary data that look promising, but there is a lot of work to be done in the future. The next step will be to allow the embryos to live for six days, and after that we hope to extract stem cells from them."
The Newcastle group's decision to report its successes on television before publication in a peer-reviewed scientific journal also drew criticism from scientists. Doctors noted the day before that these experiments are important, but they would like to see the published details before making a conclusion about their merits.
Portal "Eternal youth" www.vechnayamolodost.ru01.04.2008