Human-Cow embryo created, new hope for stem cell research.

British researches, from Newcastle University have successfully created a human – cow embryo. It has been strongly opposed by the Catholic Church, but for researchers this is one step closer to providing a limitless supply of stem cells for developing therapies for diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and spinal cord injuries.

Permission to create the embryos, was given to Lyle Armstrong, the lead researcher for this project, in January from the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority. The embryos also known as cytoplasmic hybrids are 99.9% human and 0.1% animal. These embryos were crated by taking a skin cell from a human and inserting the DNA into a cow egg. The cows’ egg had all it genetic material removed before the human DNA was inserted. An electric shock then induced the hybrid embryo to grow. The embryo grew for three days, until it had 32 cells.

Eventually the researchers hope to grow the embryos for six days and then extract stem cells from them. The cells grown using the animal eggs cannot be used to treat patients on safety grounds, but they will help researches to understand diseases better by working with those cells. If researchers can produce cells which will survive it culture, it will lead to a better understanding of disease processes without having to use human eggs.

Relevant links:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2008/apr/02/medicalresearch.ethicsofscience?gusrc=rss&feed=networkfront
www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,23476268-38200,00.html?from=public_rss

Kristin Heath 41419315