Stem cell research could be jeopardized

Cthippo · 5 Jan 2007

Associated Press said:

LONDON - British scientists have warned that an impending government decision that may ban stem cell research using animal eggs will jeopardize finding treatment and cures for degenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's and spinal muscular atrophy.

On Thursday, Britain's Human Fertilization and Embryology Authority is to announce whether such procedures should be permitted. Experts at the HFEA, the country's independent regulator of fertility and embryo research, will decide if this type of stem cell research falls within their jurisdiction, whether it is legal, and whether it should be allowed. The authority said it would not comment on the issue until a decision is made.

But the scientists involved say they have been informally told that the licenses are unlikely to be granted.

In a paper published last month by Britain's health department on proposed revisions to the Human Fertilization and Embryology act, which covers stem cell research, the government proposed outlawing the creation of hybrid embryos combining human and animal genetic material. Current restrictions on this practice, according to the report, are based on public concerns.

Still, Prime Minister
Tony Blair insisted the government is not dead-set against the scientists' proposals. "If there's research that's going to help people, then we want to see it go forward," he said during a tour of a London hospital on Friday. He acknowledged there were difficult issues surrounding stem cells.

Several stem cell experts submitted applications for a license to create human stem cells using animal eggs. The process involves injecting an empty cow or rabbit egg with human DNA. That would produce an egg with human genetic material inside, with minute traces of animal genetic material.

After a burst of electricity, the egg would be tricked into dividing regularly, becoming a very early embryo from which stem cells could be extracted.

Removing the animal's nucleus ensures that it would not be a chimera, or human-animal hybrid. "When you remove the nucleus with its DNA, you remove the species identity of the egg," said Dr. Stephen Minger, director of the stem cell biology laboratory at King's College. The proportion of animal to human genes would be tiny, with 13 animal genes versus 30 000 human genes.

Minger and colleagues applied for licenses to do this kind of work to better understand degenerative diseases at the cellular level, with the aim of finding targets for new drug treatments. The embryos would not be allowed to develop for more than 14 days.

Using human eggs is not practical because transferring genetic material into a host egg is extremely inefficient. In addition, there are too few human eggs available. Scientists say they would be lucky to get two or three human eggs in one month. In contrast, they could easily get 200 cow eggs in a single day.

Experts fear the government may ban stem cell research involving animal eggs due to public misconceptions of Frankenstein-like experiments. Still, an IPSOS-MORI poll from 2003 found that seven out of 10 Britons asked supported embryo research.

"I support the research if it's for Alzheimer's," said Jane Gottfried, 46, who said her mother was a sufferer. "I think it's important we don't do anything to ban it."

The Church of England remains "profoundly uneasy" about the use of human genetic material, no matter how it is packaged, according to spokesman Steve Jenkins.

"It would be sad if the government chose to restrict this work," said Dr. Lyle Armstrong, a stem cell expert at Newcastle University who hopes to use animal-based human stem cells to understand how stem cells develop into different tissues in the body. "It's very important not only to Britain, but to humanity in general."

Britain has traditionally been a world leader in stem cell and cloning research. Similar research, creating human embryos from animal eggs, is currently under way in China and the United States.
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Ramble · 5 Jan 2007

People who don't understnad the effects and benefits of research should not be allowed to alter it's progress.

nazomcg · 6 Jan 2007

Ditto. Ignorance should never be a reason for stopping scientific progress.

M4RTIN · 6 Jan 2007

if worried people ran the world we'd still be using leeches and bashing ourselves on the head to cure cancer. and churches just dont like anything

Cthippo · 6 Jan 2007

Actually, we are still using leeches in medicine, but now we knoe they work and we know why they work </pendantic>

overdosedelusion · 6 Jan 2007

there was probably a time when even leeches were considered evil voodoo magic =P

Man with severe blood poisoning: Help me doctor
Doctor: Read this bible and believe every word and you'll soon be better again!

kergareth · 6 Jan 2007

Man with recently amputated limb: Help me doc...
Doc: Read the bible an.... oh wait, who are we kidding? You're f***ed
http://www.whydoesgodhateamputees.com/ lol

airchie · 6 Jan 2007

Ramble said:

People who don't understnad the effects and benefits of research should not be allowed to alter it's progress.
Click to expand...

QFT!

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Stem cell research could be jeopardized

Cthippo Can't mod my way out of a paper bag

Ramble Ginger Nut

nazomcg Minimodder

M4RTIN What's a Dremel?

Cthippo Can't mod my way out of a paper bag

overdosedelusion I mostly come at night, mostly..

kergareth What's a Dremel?

airchie What's a Dremel?

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Stem cell research could be jeopardized

Cthippo Can't mod my way out of a paper bag

Ramble Ginger Nut

nazomcg Minimodder

M4RTIN What's a Dremel?

Cthippo Can't mod my way out of a paper bag

overdosedelusion I mostly come at night, mostly..

kergareth What's a Dremel?

airchie What's a Dremel?

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