150 Human Animal Hybrids
Grown in
UK
Labs
Embryos have been produced secretively for the past three years
By Daniel
Martin and Simon
Caldwell
23rd July 2011
Scientists have
created more than 150 human-animal hybrid embryos in British laboratories.
The hybrids have been
produced secretively over the past three years by researchers looking into
possible cures for a wide range of diseases.
The revelation comes
just a day after a committee of scientists warned of a nightmare ‘Planet of the
Apes’ scenario in which work on human-animal creations goes too far.
Undercover: Scientists
have been growing human animal hybrids in secret for the last three years
(Posed by models)
Last night a
campaigner against the excesses of medical research said he was disgusted that
scientists were ‘dabbling in the grotesque’.
Figures
seen by the Daily Mail show that 155 ‘admixed’ embryos, containing both human
and animal genetic material, have been created since the introduction of the
2008 Human Fertilisation Embryology Act.
This legalised the creation of a variety of hybrids, including
an animal egg fertilised by a human sperm; ‘cybrids’, in which a human nucleus is implanted into an
animal cell; and ‘chimeras’, in which human cells are mixed with animal
embryos.
Scientists say the
techniques can be used to develop embryonic stem cells which can be used to
treat a range of incurable illnesses.
Three labs in the
All have now stopped
creating hybrid embryos due to a lack of funding, but scientists believe that
there will be more such work in the future.
The figure was
revealed to crossbench peer Lord Alton following a Parliamentary question.
Research centre:
Last night he said:
‘I argued in Parliament against the creation of human- animal hybrids as a
matter of principle. None of the scientists who appeared before us could give
us any justification in terms of treatment.
‘Ethically it can
never be justifiable – it discredits us as a country. It is dabbling in the
grotesque.
‘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 pro-life group Comment on Reproductive
Ethics, said: ‘I am aghast that this is going on and we didn’t know anything
about it.
‘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.’
Test centre:
Earlier this week, a
group of leading scientists warned about ‘Planet of the Apes’ experiments. They
called for new rules to prevent lab animals being given human attributes, for
example by injecting human stem cells into the brains of primates.
But the lead author
of their report, Professor Robin Lovell-Badge, from the Medical Research
Council’ s National Institute for Medical Research, said the scientists were
not concerned about human-animal hybrid embryos because by law these have to be
destroyed within 14 days.
He said: ‘The reason
for doing these experiments is to understand more about early human development
and come up with ways of curing serious diseases, and as a scientist I feel
there is a moral imperative to pursue this research.
‘As long as we have
sufficient controls – as we do in this country – we should be proud of the
research.’
However, he called
for stricter controls on another type of embryo research, in which animal
embryos are implanted with a small amount of human genetic material.
Human-animal hybrids
are also created in other countries, many of which have little or no
regulation.