Source Quote:
UK scientists have applied for permission to create embryos by fusing human DNA with cow eggs.
Researchers from Newcastle University and Kings College, London, have asked the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority for a three-year licence. The hybrid human-bovine embryos would be used for stem cell research and would not be allowed to develop for more than a few days.
Stem cell research is one of the most promising areas of medical science. Stem cells are the body's master cells and five-day-old embryos are packed with them - each with the potential to turn into any tissue in the body. It is this ability which scientists want to harness to treat diseases such as Parkinson's Disease, strokes and Alzheimer's Disease. To do that, they need to have access to thousands of embryos for research.
The problem is that human eggs for research are in short supply and to obtain them women have to undergo surgery. That is why scientists want to use cows' eggs as a substitute. They would insert human DNA into a cow's egg which has had its genetic material removed, and then create an embryo by the same technique that produced Dolly the Sheep.
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I'm surprised but delighted that this has been proposed. It seems like a great way of advancing stem cell research without having to rely on human eggs. Unfortunately, it does not come without the usual ignorant anti-scientific objections, and some "bioethics" societies have already voiced concerns. Hopefully, science will triumph over ignorance.
Your thoughts?