UK battle over hybrid stem cells

British government plans to outlaw the creation of embryos which are part human, part animal are " unacceptable " and threaten to undermine the country's leading position in stem-cell science, a group of MPs reported last month. A report by the House of Commons science and technology committee called on ministers to scrap the proposed ban and accuses the government of basing its opposition to the research on a " deeply flawed " consultation. Many scientists believe the research will pave the way for new treatments of diseases such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and cystic fibrosis. They want to create animal–human embryos to understand the molecular details behind these conditions. The researchers would take a cell from a patient and insert it into a hollowed out cow or rabbit egg and stimulate it with a charge of electricity. The two cells then fuse to make an embryo which is 99.9 per cent human and 0.1 per cent animal. Embryonic stem cells extracted from the embryo could be grown into nerves and other tissues, giving scientists insights into how the disease develops. Under existing laws, the embryos must be destroyed no later than 14 days old and cannot be implanted. Using plentiful animal eggs will allow researchers to overcome a major stumbling block caused by the shortage of fresh human eggs that would otherwise be needed for the work. The proposed ban has already drawn criticism from scientists, including Sir David King, the government's chief scientific adviser, the Human Genetics Commission, the Medical Research Council and the Wellcome Trust. Plans to outlaw the research were revealed in December by the public health minister in a white paper which has become the basis of a wide-ranging overhaul of fertility laws. It recommends a blanket ban on the creation of embryos which are part animal, part human, with a provision for some research in the area to be conducted under licence. At a briefing in London, the committee chairman, Phil Willis, criticised the public consultation exercise used to defend the plan. The consultation attracted around 300 responses with 277 opposed to research. Parliament has criticised the British government over reluctance to sanction the creation of hybrid human stem cells for research. Nigel Williams reports. The MPs called for permissive legislation, allowing research into human–animal embryos to go ahead under licence after scrutiny by the fertility regulator, the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority. The technique …