The Island of Dr. Moreau - Human 'cybrids' to get go-ahead
Pastor Dale Morgan
The Island of Dr. Moreau - Human 'cybrids' to get go-ahead*
UK scientists could create part-human, part-animal embryos.
By Nic Fleming, Science Correspondent
Last Updated: 2:30am GMT 01/03/2007
Welcome to the Island of Dr. Moreau - British scientists will be allowed
to create part-human, part-animal embryos for research into potentially
life-saving medical treatments, the Government signalled yesterday.
How to make a human cybrid
Caroline Flint, the health minister, is considering removing a ban on
such work from a draft bill that will form the basis for new laws on
fertility treatment and embryo research.
Two teams of British researchers have applied for permission to create
"cybrid" embryos that would be around 99.9 per cent human and 0.1 per
cent rabbit, cow, pig, sheep or goat to produce embryonic stem cells –
the body's building blocks that grow into all other types of cells.
They want to use the stem cells to understand and provide new treatments
for diseases such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, cystic fibrosis, motor
neurone disease and Huntington's.
A draft bill to replace the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990
is currently being drawn up. It is expected to be ready in May and is
due to be included in the Queen's speech in November.
A White Paper published by the Department of Health in December stated:
"The Government will propose that the creation of hybrid and chimera
embryos in vitro, should not be allowed.
"However the Government also proposes that the law will contain a power
enabling regulations to set out circumstances in which the creation of
hybrid and chimera embryos in vitro may in future be allowed under
licence, for research purposes only."
Many scientists were left worried that advances they believed could
benefit large numbers of patients, especially those with nervous system
disorders, would be outlawed and that Britain would lose its position as
a world leader in stem cell science. The Commons science and technology
select committee announced an inquiry into the issue, while the Human
Fertilisation and Embryology Authority promised a public consultation.
Tony Blair said last month that although there were difficult issues the
Government was "not dead set against" the creation of early hybrid
embryos for research.
On Tuesday David King, the Government's chief scientific adviser, told
the science committee that research using part-human, part-animal
embryos should be allowed under tight controls.
At a hearing of the committee yesterday, Miss Flint was asked by Lib Dem
science spokesman Evan Harris whether the draft bill being prepared
could differ from the White Paper by not starting out with a presumption
that such research be banned.
She replied: "We will take on board all the views. It is a possibility,
yes."
Miss Flint said that within the field was a spectrum ranging from work
that would be unacceptable to most people to other research that would
pose less ethical issues, and she appeared to hit back at Sir David over
his comments.
She added: "It could be that some areas, let's take for example the
issue of cybrids, can be regulated by a simple process, but some of the
other areas of chimeras might pose other questions that nobody might
want to do down."
Dr Calum MacKellar of the Scottish Council on Scottish Bioethics, said:
"Millions of people in the UK would see the creation of animal-human
embryo combinations as the creation of very profound ethical problems.
These are not just a pile of cells, but have a special moral status as a
human person."