It has come to light that over 150 animal human hybrids have been created in UK labs since the 2008 Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act.
The Act allowed for the creation of ‘cybrids’ – in which an animal egg is fertilised with a human sperm – and ‘chimeras’ – in which animal embryos are combined with human cells.
‘Emotional blackmail’
The number of these hybrids was previously unknown but was revealed after Lord Alton posed a question about it in the House of Lords last week.
Lord Alton expressed surprise at the high figure and stated that these experiments have minimal use in helping find cures for human illness and accused scientists of ‘emotional blackmail’ in using this as a justification for their research.
“At every stage the justification from scientists has been: if only you allow us to do this, we will find cures for every illness known to mankind. This is emotional blackmail.
“Of the 80 treatments and cures which have come about from stem cells, all have come from adult stem cells – not embryonic ones.
“On moral and ethical grounds this fails; and on scientific and medical ones too.”
Josephine Quintavalle, of Comment on Reproductive Ethics, also conveyed indignation at the news:
“Why have they kept this a secret? If they are proud of what they are doing, why do we need to ask Parliamentary questions for this to come to light?
“The problem with many scientists is that they want to do things because they want to experiment. That is not a good enough rationale.”
Tighter regulations
The news follows a report issued last week by the Academy of Medical Sciences which urged that there be tighter controls on research using animals containing human tissue and genes.
Under current regulations, research on predominantly human embryos can only be conducted for up to 14 days.
However, for embryos which are predominantly animal but containing some human material, there are currently no regulations.
This has given rise to fears that scientists could begin conducting experiments that the public would find unacceptable, for example inserting human brain cells into an ape’s brain with the potential of generating a ‘human-like’ consciousness.
Concerns
Dr Peter Saunders, CEO of the Christian Medical Fellowship, said that a distinction must be made between research using animals with human cells and creating a ‘trans-species’ of an animal displaying human characteristics.
“Using an animal as a biological factory to produce human proteins or as a living laboratory to examine the behaviour of human cancer cells is one thing. Such research is limited in scope and has a specific human benefit in mind.
“But enhancing an animal with uniquely human characteristics in order to produce a new trans-species organism for other purposes is something altogether different.”
Andrea Williams commented:
“I remember when the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act passed in 2008 after much public protest and debate but the news that 150 human animal hybrids have been created since then has barely caused a ripple.
“This is indicative of a gradual slide towards the acceptance of increasingly extreme and ethically dubious research.
“The criterion for whether or not certain kinds of human animal research are justified is not simply whether the public finds it distasteful – the sanctity of human life must form the basis for any ethical guidelines governing embryo research.”
Sources