British team announce country's first human-animal embryos

by Rich Bowden - Apr 2 2008, 06:57

Researchers at the UK's Newcastle University have announced the production of the country's first embryos containing both human and animal material.

A 10mm embryo from an ectopic pregnancy, still in the oviduct. This embryo is about five weeks old (or from the 7th week of pregnancy). Credit: Ed Uthman MD

The team performed the ground-breaking procedure by taking human genetic material and mixing it with cow egg cells that had most of their own genetic material removed. The resulting embryo contained 99.9 percent human DNA and 0.1 percent cow genetic material.Dr Lyle Armstrong, who led the research effort, was one of two teams given preliminary licences to explore hybrid embryos, the other being a team at King’s College London, led by Professor Stephen Minger.Dr Armstrong presented his findings at a conference in Israel last week but warned his audience that the results were only preliminary.Professor John Burn, Head of the Institute of Human Genetics at Newcastle University, added in a statement released by the university: “These are preliminary findings from on-going research. Once fully validated Dr Lyle Armstrong will be submitting the work for peer review and publication as is normal procedure," he said."If the team can produce cells which will survive in culture it will open the door to a better understanding of disease processes without having to use precious human eggs. Cells grown using animal eggs cannot be used to treat patients on safety grounds but they will help bring nearer the day when new stem cell therapies are available,” Prof. Burn noted.The work has divided the UK with the Catholic Church describing it as "monstrous" with Cardinal Keith O’Brien, the head of the Catholic Church in Scotland, describing it as “experiments of Frankenstein proportion”.The Church opposes the hybrid embryo research on the grounds that it interferes with human identity, however researchers say they hope their experiments will lead to cures for such diseases as Parkinson's disease, stroke and diabetes.The BBC reported the embryos lived for three days with the next step attempting to get them to live for six days "...when we can hopefully derive stem cells from them," said Prof. Burn.A key vote will be taken on aspects of hybrid embryos in the House of Commons next month. Members will be allowed to exercise a conscience vote on the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill which would permit further mixed embryos research.

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Grace HingaApr 2nd, 2008 - 15:27:54

I do very clearly recall someone I have met in life that had A sheep eye
transplant and even though they could not see they had a better look on their face than having their eye closed, or covered (Moshe Dayan Style a one time President of Israel in the 60s) that then tells us that improving human life without destroying another is solution than having to surrender living
while suffering from any decease that can be cured by any means, Those that have no Heal Problem cannot understand that Some people would pay anything
to hold onto life but without solutions we all watch them dying. However Anyone without a Health problem may never come to agreeing with what Science and Medical Technology would come up with. To a few it is A Solution.Go Go..

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British team announce country's first human-animal embryos

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