The British Parliament has again allowed the creation of hybrid embryos

MPs back creation of human-animal embryosMark Henderson and Francis Elliott, The Times, May 20, 2008

Translation: Inopressa

Members of the House of Commons support the creation of hybrid human and animal embryosThe amendment to the law banning all mixed embryos was rejected: 176 votes in favor and 336 against, and the prohibition of true hybrids was rejected by 286 votes to 223

After the House of Commons rejected the prohibitive amendment yesterday, British scientists will be able to study such devastating diseases as Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease on the material of human-animal embryos.

An amendment to the Law on Human Fertilization and Embryology, designed to prohibit the creation of "mixed human embryos" for medical research, was rejected by a free vote with a margin of 160 votes. This is how the law, which Gordon Brown considers one of the key elements of legislation, was preserved in its original form.

However, today the government expects its defeat with regard to the consideration of another article of the law – the abolition of the requirement for clinics where artificial insemination is performed to take into account the child's need for a father when treating patients. Tonight, MPs will also consider a proposal to reduce the legal term of abortion from 24 to 22 or 20 weeks of pregnancy.

The second amendment, a ban on the creation of "true hybrids" obtained by fertilizing an animal egg with human sperm, was also rejected yesterday by a margin of 63 votes. Another free vote, held last night, was expected to approve the use of embryo screening to create "brothers-saviors" – potential umbilical cord blood donors for sick children.

Conservative Edward Lee, a member of the House of Commons from Gainsborough, who introduced an amendment to ban all mixed embryos, said that mixing animal DNA with human DNA means crossing the "last frontier". He noted that excessively rosy forecasts inspire false hopes in sick people, and the risk associated with these studies is unknown to us. "In many ways we are like children playing with anti–personnel mines, having no idea about the dangers of the technologies we are messing with," he said.

Mark Simmonds, the shadow cabinet minister for Health, who introduced the amendment to ban "true hybrids," said there was no convincing evidence of their usefulness for research.

Liberal Democrat Evan Harris, a member of the House of Commons from Oxford West, suggested that those who, in principle, put up with mixed embryos, but reject "true hybrids", explain how an embryo, which is 99% human, differs morally from an embryo containing 50% of human genes.

Dawn Primerolo, the Minister of Health, shares this opinion: "If we go down this path, then bans on specific hybrids seem illogical." Primerolo noted that the main obstacle to the research of embryonic stem cells is the shortage of human eggs. The Minister acknowledged that the law is not a guarantee that ways to cure diseases will be invented. "The law is just a hope that it may work out," she said.

The amendment banning all mixed embryos was rejected by 336 votes to 176. The ban on true hybrids was rejected by 286 votes to 223.

The main types of mixed embryos permitted by this law are "cytoplasmic hybrids", or "hybrids" for short, obtained by inserting the nucleus of a human cell into an "empty" egg cell of an animal. These embryos are 99.9% human in genetic terms. The law permits the production of true hybrids, chimeras (combinations of human and animal cells), and transgenic human embryos with the addition of a small fraction of animal DNA.

The most immediate result of the vote in the House of Commons will be the permission of groups of scientists from the University of Newcastle upon Tyne and King's College London, who already have licenses to create hybrids, to continue research. However, the Department of Human Fertilization and Embryology in January already allowed them to start experiments, but if the deputies voted for the ban, the licenses would have been revoked.

Hybrids can carry the DNA of patients with hereditary syndromes to create models of these diseases in the form of stem cells. Such models are required to study the course of the disease and test new methods of treatment. Human eggs could also be used for this purpose, but they are in short supply due to the risk for female donors.

The law allows mixed embryos to be grown for a period not exceeding 14 days, but prohibits placing them in the uterus of a human or animal.

Thanks to the decision of the deputies, another group of scientists planning to study motor neuron diseases on the material of mixed embryos will decide to apply for a license. This group, led by Professor Chris Shaw from the London Institute of Psychiatry, was waiting for the vote.

Professor Shaw noted: "This will allow us to advance on all fronts, trying to comprehend and develop ways to treat a wide range of currently incurable diseases. It will probably have to wait a few years before treatment methods, but the results of the vote still mean that we have the right to use hybrid embryos in addition to adult stem cells in search of the causes of Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and motor neuron diseases."

Professor Robin Lovell-Badge from the National Institute of Medical Research (London) said that the results of the vote are beneficial for understanding the mechanisms of normal embryonic development and hereditary diseases: "Having understood this, we will eventually get the most favorable opportunities for developing treatments for these diseases, as well as infertility and a number of other medical problems."

Simon Dinegree, chairman of the board of Directors of the Association of Charities Promoting Medical Research, said: "Obviously, MPs have listened to the compelling arguments advocated by charities that promote medical research, patient groups and scientists. They all talk about the importance of these studies for a deeper understanding of diseases and syndromes that affect hundreds of thousands of people in the UK."

The majority of women claim that they should have the right to an abortion even at 20-24 weeks of pregnancy, and they want to preserve the previous norms of the law. According to a survey of women of childbearing age conducted by Ipsos MORI commissioned by Marie Stopes International, 61% of respondents support the possibility of late abortion for a wide range of reasons.

Portal "Eternal youth" www.vechnayamolodost.ru21.05.2008