The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority said last week that they were ‘in principle’ not opposed to the creation and use of human-animal embryos. However, scientists wanting to carry out such work would still need to make individual applications to the Authority to carry out this research.
There has been much opposition to this and only last year the Government proposed banning it altogether. This was changed when a new proposal was put forward to allow hybrid embryos which were 99.9% human and 0.1% animal.
The scientists argue that this research will lead to understanding how to make human stem cells better and could lead to “major breakthroughs in treatments for Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and other serious diseases” according to Dr Tony Calland of the British Medical Associations Ethics Committee.
Opposing the move is the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children and Comment on Reproductive Ethics who say it is morally and ethically objectionable.
At this stage no research has been carried out and no hybrids grown. It is unlikely that the application of this research will not filter down to medical care for many years, and may never be used.
If, in the future, you do not wish to be treated with the outcome of research in this area, you need to be notifying your treating doctor or nurse of this. They may not be able to guarantee that the treatment they are providing, has not been as a result of research in this area and at that point you can then decide if you wish to go ahead with your treatment.
