Plan to create human-cow embryos

[Guest guest]

UK scientists have applied for permission to create embryos by fusing

human DNA with cow eggs.

 

Researchers from Newcastle University and Kings College, London, have

asked the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority for a three-

year licence.

 

The hybrid human-bovine embryos would be used for stem cell research

and would not be allowed to develop for more than a few days.

 

But critics say it is unethical and potentially dangerous.

 

Liberal Democrat MP Dr Evan Harris - a member of the Commons Science

and Technology Select Committee - said: " If human benefit can be

derived by perfecting therapeutic cloning techniques or from research

into subsequently-derived stem cells, then it would actually be

immoral to prevent it just because of a 'yuck' factor. "

 

Stem cell research is one of the most promising areas of medical

science.

 

You may begin to undermine the whole distinction between humans

animals and humans

 

Calum MacKellar

Stem cells are the body's master cells and five-day-old embryos are

packed with them - each with the potential to turn into any tissue in

the body.

 

It is this ability which scientists want to harness to treat diseases

such as Parkinson's Disease, strokes and Alzheimer's Disease.

 

To do that, they need to have access to thousands of embryos for

research.

 

Short supply

 

The problem is that human eggs for research are in short supply and

to obtain them women have to undergo surgery.

 

That is why scientists want to use cows' eggs as a substitute.

 

They would insert human DNA into a cow's egg which has had its

genetic material removed, and then create an embryo by the same

technique that produced Dolly the Sheep.

 

The resulting embryo would be 99.9% human; the only bovine element

would be DNA outside the nucleus of the cell.

 

It would, though, technically be a chimera - part-human, part-animal.

 

The aim would be to extract stem cells from the embryo when it is six

days old, before destroying it.

 

If human benefit can be derived by perfecting therapeutic cloning

techniques or from research into subsequently-derived stem cells,

then it would actually be immoral to prevent it just because of

a 'yuck' factor

 

Dr Evan Harris

 

The quality and the viability of stem cells would then be checked to

see if the technique had worked.

 

The scientists also plan to examine the way the cells are

reprogrammed after fusion to see if there are useful processes they

could replicate in the laboratory.

 

Lead researcher Dr Lyle Armstrong said: " If we can learn from the egg

cell how to make embryonic stem cells without having to use an animal

egg at all then some day we may be able to cure diseases such as

Parkinson's disease, or better still some of the age-related diseases

which are creating such a burden on society. "

 

Dr Stephen Minger, from King's College London, said: " The current

state of the technology is such that literally hundreds of human

ooctyes (eggs) from young women will be required to generate a single

human embryonic stem cell line.

 

" Therefore we consider it more appropriate to use non-human oocytes

from livestock as a surrogate.

 

" We feel that the development of disease-specific human embryonic

stem cell lines from individuals suffering from genetic forms of

neurodegenerative disorders will stimulate both basic research and

the development of new medicines to treat these horrific brain

diseases. "

 

'Undermining humanity'

 

Professor Robin Lovell-Badge, head of developmental genetics,

National Institute for Medical Research, said: " This is a very

rational step: to learn what you can using animal eggs, which are

readily obtainable, before moving on to valuable human eggs when or

if this becomes necessary. "