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scientists comment on the Human Tissues and Embryos (draft) bill

The draft Human Tissues and Embryos bill, permitting the issue of licenses for the use of human-animal hybrid embryos for research into diseases.

Professor Chris Shaw, Institute of Psychiatry, Kings College London, said:

“It looks as if the Bill will permit animal-human hybrid and transgenic embryo research. This would be very good news but we reserve final judgement until it becomes law. It should encourage the HFEA to grant our licences as soon as possible.”

Dr Stephen Minger, Director, Stem Cell Biology Laboratory, King’s College London, said:

“We welcome the government’s support for our research. However we feel this should be permitted by the regulator rather than government. Only the regulators have the scientific and ethical expertise to assess cutting edge science.

“This research is important because these stem cell lines could help us to understand what goes wrong in catastrophic neurological disorders like Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease. By creating stem cell lines from people who have currently have these incurable diseases we can compared how their cells differ from those without the disease. It is our hope that these stem cells will be used to develop new therapies and which could give hope to patients where we currently have little to offer.”

Professor Robin Lovell-Badge, Head of division of Developmental Genetics at the MRC National Institute for Medical Research, said:

“While there will still be much to discuss, the proposals in the Draft Bill with respect to research are far more consistent with the current regulatory approach, that has served both the scientific community and the UK public well for 17 years, than were suggested in the White paper. In particular I am very pleased that the Draft Bill proposes that research involving mixtures of animal and human material, whether cytoplasmic hybrids or chimeras, ought not be subject to a ban. This research has many potential benefits for the understanding of disease and for treatments and should not be feared. There is no intention to permit development of any embryo made in this way beyond 14 days, and it will, quite rightly, remain illegal to implant such an embryo into a woman.

“It is reassuring that the advice of the scientific community and of the House of Commons Science and Technology Committee seems to have been taken on board during the drafting of the legislation, which some of us had feared was being swayed more by the “Yuk factor” and by those opposed to scientific progress than by common sense and real understanding of the issues.”

Alastair Kent, Director of Genetic Interest Group (GIG), said:

“Following the letter from 223 patient groups and medical research charities to the Prime Minister calling for research using hybrid embryos to be encouraged, the Genetic Interest Group (GIG) welcomes the recognition of the value of this research by the Government.

“This is a humane and sensible response to the views of patients, scientists and doctors on the importance of this research, which brings hope to those affected by severe, life limiting diseases. We are a step closer to an efficient, proportionate regulation to promote and control this work, and make the benefits it offers happen sooner rather than later.

“We hope the HFEA takes notice of the Government’s intention when considering the results of its current consultation on this issue.”

Aisling Burnand, Chief Executive of the BioIndustry Association (BIA), said, said:

“Despite Government’s acceptance in principle that legislation should allow the creation of hybrid embryos for research purposes, it is disappointing that this has not been included as a specific provision in the Bill itself.

“This ground-breaking research has support of patient groups and world-leading scientists, and has the potential to unlock significant scientific discoveries.

“We call on the pre-legislative scrutiny committee to ensure that this research is permitted without delay by changing the draft clause in the Bill.”

Khadija Ibrahim, Director of Progress Educational Trust, said:

“Although some research involving mixing human and animal material could be allowed in the future through regulating exceptions, the government’s policy still appears to seek some sort of ban.

“This inconsistency sends the wrong message to scientists and the public. There is no consensus among ethicists that we need this ban. Scientists and patient groups on the other hand, are very clear that we need this type of research, to learn more about basic cellular processes as we look for new medical treatments.

“Many of us in the field are puzzled by the proposal of a special ban here, when experimentation on fully human embryos has been regulated successfully for the past 17 years. In all cases, it continues to be illegal to allow embryos to grow for more than 14 days or to implant them into a woman’s womb.

“Many changes in the draft bill are to be welcomed, but we hope these contradictions will be examined in detail as it moves to a Parliamentary Committee. If this new Act is going to stand the test of time, the law in areas like these must be set out as clearly as possible.

“We hope this will be quickly settled and scientists will be allowed get on with the research that could help patients in the future.”

A spokesperson from Association of Medical Research Charities (AMRC), said:

“The Draft Bill is a very definite step in the right direction, and reflects what scientists and patients have been calling for to enable advance in the understanding and alleviation of disease.

“We would urge the HFEA to now licence research applications in this area, thus ensuring that progress for patient benefit is not further delayed while the Bill undergoes scrutiny and law is made.

“There are complex ethical debates to be had in medical research, and this is undoubtedly one of them. However, the letter that we and the Genetic Interest Group sent to Tony Blair last month, co-signed by 223 charities and patient groups illustrated that, when faced with the reality of illness, people are overwhelmingly supportive of allowing carefully regulated hybrid and chimera embryo research. We are delighted that the Draft Bill reflects this view.”

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