Atlantis V 2.0 human animal embryos

[Randy]

Tuesday, 1 July 2008

A team of scientists has been granted permission to create embryos that are part pig, part human.

The team from the University of Warwick wants to use the embryos to produce embryonic stem cells for research into heart disease.

This is the third licence to create animal-human embryos in Britain granted by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA).

Although the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill allows the creation of animal-human embryos, the Bill has yet to become law. It is expected to reach its final stages in the Commons soon.

The HFEA has granted licences in this area because it considers the matter to be a grey area of law which will be clarrified in their favour when the Bill becomes law.

An opinion poll conducted by ComRes for The Christian Institute showed that 60 per cent of the public believe it is wrong to create animal-human embryos for research. However, in May MPs voted by 336 to 176 to allow the practice.

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found here

[Randy]

MPs vote to allow human-animal hybrids

MPs have voted to push back the boundaries of science by allowing radical embryo research including the creation of human-animal hybrids.

By Rosa Prince, Political Correspondent
Last Updated: 7:20AM BST 23 Oct 2008

Ruth Kelly defied Mr Brown by rebelling in her first Commons vote since standing down Photo: PA Following a landmark Commons vote, Britain will become one of a handful of countries in the world to encourage ground-breaking research by implanting human cells into an egg taken from an animal, usually a rabbit.

Pro-life MPs warned that the step could lead to the creation of half-human, half-ape "humanzees" or "minotaurs" - a claim denied by the Department of Health.

Hybrids - called "admixed embryos" by the scientific community - are banned in at least 21 countries, but scientists believe that they could be used to find cures for dozens of serious conditions, from heart disease to dementia.

MPs voted overwhelmingly in favour of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill after being told that it could revolutionise the lives of hundreds of thousands of people, bringing to a close one of the most bitter Parliamentary wrangles of recent years.

As well as embryo research, there were further clashes over proposals which will give lesbians equal access to fertility treatment, and moves to allow parents with a sick child to create a "saviour sibling" to be harvested for cells to cure their older brother or sister.

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COMPLETE REPORT:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/labour/3242706/MPs-vote-to-allow-human-animal-hybrids.html