UK approves hybrid embryos

Britain's fertility regulator has given the green light for the creation of human-animal hybrid embryos for research today (September 5), after a public consultation showed that most people in the country were comfortable with scientists using the technique.

Researchers think that cytoplasmic hybrids, in which human nuclei are placed into enucleated animal cells, will provide a good source of stem cells. Two groups, from Kings College London and from the University of Newcastle, applied for licences to conduct such studies in November, 2006, but their applications have been held up amid a political saga over how the technology should be regulated.

In December last year, public health minister Caroline Flint released a policy document on fertility research recommending that animal-human hybrid embryos be banned when the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act is updated in 2008.

The following month, the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) agreed to regulate the research, but decided to conduct a "consultation exercise" to gauge public opinion on the topic through a series of polls, debates and meetings. The scientific community also began an intense lobbying effort that gained the support of the high profile House of Commons Select Committee on Science and Technology, as well as several research funders and disease charities.

The results of the consultation, which were revealed this week ahead of the HFEA decision, showed that 61 percent of the general public agreed with the creation of human-animal embryos if it might help understand diseases, with 25 percent opposed.

"The government's original response was quite knee-jerk and when you point out to people what we really want to do... they come on board," Stephen Minger, a Kings College researcher whose group is making one of the applications to do this work, told The Scientist.

Martin Rees, the president of the Royal Society, said the results of the consultation were welcome. "It is heartening that the wider public agree with the scientific community that human-animal embryos offer the potential to better understand incurable illnesses such as Parkinson's and Motor Neuron Disease," he said in a statement.

Sophie Petit-Zeman, head of external relations for the Association of Medical Research Charities, echoed his sentiments. "What we see within our charities and patient representatives is that they are clamouring for this to go ahead because they are very clear about the benefits... and when you explain to other people those benefits they are supportive as well."

Yet even with HFEA's approval of the creation of hybrid embryos for research, it still needs to consider the individual licence applications, which will take months. Minger acknowledged there was a possibility that the applications could be turned down, but said he was still happy with the regulatory process in the UK.

"Whatever decision they come up with, it won't have been capricious," he said.

Stephen Pincock
mail@the-scientist.com

Links within this article:

HFEA Sept. 5 statement on hybrid embryos decision
http://www.hfea.gov.uk/en/1581.html

HFEA Open Authority Meeting, September 2007
http://www.hfea.gov.uk/en/1579.html

Review of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act: Proposals for revised legislation (including establishment of the Regulatory Authority for Tissue and Embryos)
http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics

S. Pincock, "UK delays hybrid embryo decision," The Scientist, January 11, 2007.
http://www.the-scientist.com/news/display/40757

S. Pincock, "Groups unite to oppose hybrid ban," The Scientist, April 5, 2007.
http://www.the-scientist.com/news/display/53055/

House of Commons Select Committee on Science and Technology
http://www.parliament.uk/parliamentary_committees/science_and_technology_committee.cfm

Stephen Minger
http://www.kcl.ac.uk/schools/biohealth/research/wolfson/sminger.html

Association of Medical Research Charities
http://www.amrc.org.uk