http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main...nembryo117.xml

Scientists will be allowed to create hybrid animal-human embryos for stem cell research after the Government dropped its opposition to the procedure.

In what is seen by many as a U-turn, the Government published a draft bill that effectively sweeps away last year's ban, which was widely criticised by scientists, who warned that it would hinder medical breakthroughs.

Under the Human Tissue and Embryos Bill, scientists will be allowed to produce "cybrid" embryos that are 99.9 per cent human and 0.1 per cent animal and they will be permitted to alter human embryos by the introduction of animal DNA.

Under the legislation proposed today, hybrid embryos would only be allowed for research into serious diseases, and scientists working with them would require a licence.

Teams of researchers based in London and Newcastle have applied for permission to create cybrid embryos to produce embryonic stem cells - the body's building blocks that grow into all other types of cells.

They want to use the stem cells to understand and provide new treatments for diseases such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, cystic fibrosis, motor neurone disease and Huntington's.

Speaking at a briefing at the Department of Health in London, Caroline Flint, the health minister, said the debate had moved on in the last few months, making the scientific issues clearer.

She said: "I honestly don't see this as a back flip... it was an evaluation of a number of different view points.

"Our position was not to stop this research but to be clear that it's sensitive research, and we have to be sure about what we're going to permit to happen in the future.

"The position was a general prohibition, but with the opportunity on a case-by-case basis for certain types of research to take place".


Only problem is the UK's innovation isn't matched by its funding.

Neil.

Tommy Thompson for Bresident a good replacement for Bush..........WOW


By: Steven NovellaOn: 05/16/2007 13:51:13In: NeuroscienceComments: 0

In last night's Republican debate the issue of embryonic stem (ES) cell research came up. Candidate Tommy Thompson defended his anti-embryonic stem cell research position partly by reassuring us that scientific research will do just fine using existing lines and also using adult stem cells and the recent technology developed to harvest amniotic fluid stem cells. Politicians talking about science always perks up my skeptical sensors – politicians are generally not scientists and they just can’t help distorting the science to suit their political agenda. This is no exception. While non ES cell research is promising, and ES cells may eventually be eclipsed by better technology (almost every technology eventually is), it is far too early to write off ES cell technology as redundant, and I was reminded of this by some cool new ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or Lou Gherig’s disease) research.

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In last night's Republican debate the issue of embryonic stem (ES) cell research came up. Candidate Tommy Thompson defended his anti-embryonic stem cell research position partly by reassuring us that scientific research will do just fine using existing lines and also using adult stem cells and the recent technology developed to harvest amniotic fluid stem cells. Politicians talking about science always perks up my skeptical sensors – politicians are generally not scientists and they just can’t help distorting the science to suit their political agenda. This is no exception. While non ES cell research is promising, and ES cells may eventually be eclipsed by better technology (almost every technology eventually is), it is far too early to write off ES cell technology as redundant, and I was reminded of this by some cool new ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or Lou Gherig’s disease) research.

Two recent papers published in Nature Neuroscience use ES cells to investigate the effects of a mutation known to cause ALS. ALS is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder in which motor neurons (cells in the brain and spinal cord that control muscles) die, resulting in progressive weakness and muscle wasting. About 10% of patients with ALS have a familial or inherited form of the disease, and about 25% of them have a mutation is a gene called SOD1 (superoxide dismutase). It has been previously shown that the mutation causes the SOD1 protein to be neurotoxic, contributing to the death of motor neurons.

Now, a Harvard group led by Kevin Eggan created lines of ES cells from mice with normal SOD1 and mice with a mutation known to cause ALS. They then cultured the normal and mutant neuron in astrocytes (nervous cells that are for support and modulation) that were either normal or that also had the SOD1 mutation. What they found is that mutant neurons did worse than normal neurons (no surprise) but that normal neurons had a 50% die off when cultured with mutant astrocytes. They then coathe blastocysts of mice bred to express the normal human SOD1 gene and from mice with the mutant SOD1 gene. The scientists then coaxed the ES cells to become motor neurons and did some mixing and matching, cultivating the motor neurons and astrocytes with and without the mutation.

The second study, by researchers at Columbia led by Serge Przedborski, found that neurons cultures in a medium that had previously held mutant astrocytes also did poorly. This indicates that the astrocytes are producing a toxin that stayed behind in the culture medium after they were removed. The toxin is not mutant SOD1 protein (the mutant SOD1 protein has previously been shown to be toxic to motor neurons), so it is something else.

The implications of this research for a treatment for ALS are not immediately clear – it is basic science research, not studying clinical applications. But everything we learn about how motor neurons live and die in ALS helps us look for potential treatments. Perhaps this will lead to new drug targets to study.

The studies also highlight for me a few points worth exploring;


Embryonic Stem Cells

Despite assurances from certain religious right Republicans, ES cells are still damn handy for research. These studies were completed by engineering ES cells with specific properties. This is a powerful research tool, and it remains to be seen if other types of stem cells will work, and if they do if they will be as powerful and efficient. So for now the bottom line is that restricting the use of ES cells in research will slow down the progress of certain kinds of important medical research. ALS is one of the diseases that frequently is listed as benefiting from ES cell research, and these two studies show that quite clearly. It’s actually true, not just hypothetical, and not political posturing.


Astrocytes

Astrocytes were previously seen as “merely” the support cells in the nervous system, while the neurons were the rock stars – the neurons is where all the action was. However, over the last 20 years or so we have learned that the astrocytes play a vital role. Not only do they manage the environment of the nervous system and provide immune surveillance for the central nervous system, and provide the myelin that coats axons and allows neurons to conduct efficiently – they also play a modulatory role. This means they affect neuronal function – they are part of the information and processing activity of the nervous system.


Stem Cells and Astrocytes

Much of the hype about stem cells is that they can be used to replace dead or dying cells and restore their function. So stem cells could be turned into brain cells – neurons – that would then make meaningful connections and restore function. This is still a realistic hope and may be a vital application of stem cells.

But in the shorter term we are finding that astrocytes may be the low hanging fruit – a more achievable target for ES cell therapy. This research shows that we can turn ES cells into astrocytes and we can give those astrocytes new properties and features that can affect neurons. In this case it was used to elucidate the mechanism of neuronal injury from a mutation that causes ALS. But these same principles could be used to treat ALS or other neurodegenerative diseases.

Imagine if we create engineered astrocytes from stem cells that are designed to provide a better environment for neurons, to keep them alive longer, and perhaps even stimulate them to function better. Such astrocytes could deliver drugs, secrete hormones, neutralize toxins, and tweak the local environment. We could then inject such astrocytes into a patient with ALS and it could slow or even stop the death of motor neurons.

This kind of application would be much easier than replacing neurons, for the astrocytes just have to be in the area. They don’t need to make any precise connections – all we need is for some of them to survive and pump their products into the local environment.

Research into such applications of stem cell derived astrocytes is already under way. I do not want to hype the promise of a future technology – especially one that is politically controversial. No one knows how this research will pan out. But ES cell therapy is an exciting, plausible, and potentially dramatically effective therapy, and research is progressing rapidly, showing its potential. Attempts to downplay the unique benefits of ES cell research are contradicted by the research that is going on.

The ethics of ES cell research will have to be worked out in the political arena – but the politics should be informed by good science.

http://www.theness.com/neurologicabl...sp?Display=103
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Frankly I find the idea of creating hybrid embryos scary.

I agree it is scary in an unlegislated and uncontrolled environment (see Korean stem cell fiasco), however this research will be heavily regulated.

No other way around the shortage of eggs which was threatening all esc work in the UK.

This is good news (imho).

Neil.

Britain To Go Ahead With Human-Animal Embryos For Research

18 May 2007

The British government published its draft bill to overhaul the 1990 Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act this week and it differs from the White Paper introduced late last year in that research using part human part animal embryos is to be allowed after all.

Some news reports are saying this is a major shift by government ministers after the angry reaction to the White Paper from scientists, MPs and patient groups that banning such research would impede medical breakthroughs.

A spokesperson denies this is a U-turn on the part of the government and that while the original stance had been one of prohibition, a door had been left open to allow such research on a case by case basis.

The government was criticized for its opposition to the research by a powerful lobby of scientists backed by Sir David King, the Chief Science Adviser to the government, the Medical Research Council and the Wellcome Trust.

According to the Department of Health, the new bill, called the Human Tissue and Embryos Bill is intended to "ensure that the law remains effective and fit for purpose in the early 21st century and that it will take account of the latest scientific developments and changing public opinion".

The bill covers a number of areas, including research using three types of human-animal embryo:

Cytoplasmic embryo or cybrid: where a human cell is inserted into an animal's egg that has been stripped of nearly all its nuclear DNA. The embryo would be 99.9 per cent human and 0.1 per cent animal.
Human-animal chimera: where animal cells are introduced into human embryos.
True human-animal hybrids: where a human egg is fertilized by animal sperm or vice versa.
The new bill will allow research to use cybrids and chimera, but not the true human-animal hybrids. If passed, the law will require all such embryos to be destroyed after 14 days; and under no circumstances would it be legal to implant them into a womb.

Two teams of UK scientists are already waiting to get the go ahead to use cybrids to produce embryonic stem cells so they can research new ways to treat a range of degenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, motor neurone disease and and Huntington's. Using cybrids would be much cheaper because animal eggs are easier to get hold of than human ones.

The other fertility and embryology areas covered by the new bill include proposals to:

• Allow children conceived from donors to find out if they have any siblings also conceived through donation, once they have reached the age of majority (18).
• Remove the need for the father to be considered in fertility treatment. This would mean for example that clinics would not be able to deny lesbians and single mothers fertility treatment on legal grounds.
• Deny parents the right to select the sex of their embryo for non-medical reasons.
• Extend the statutory embryo storage period to 10 years from the current 5.
• Give parental rights to civil partners.
• Introduce a cooling off period of up to one year if consent to store embryos is withdrawn by one of the parents.
• Allow embryos to be screened for serious medical conditions and tissue matching.
• Merge the current fertility watchdog, the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority and the Human Tissue Authority into one regulatory body to be called the Regulatory Authority for Tissue and Embryos (RATE).

Scientists are still worried that the legislation will not reflect this new position on human animal embryos since it is not included in the bill itself but in a set of proposals to be considered alongside it. The draft bill is being reviewed by a committee that reports at the end of July after which it will be debated in parliament.

The committee will look into the question of whether the embryo research should be covered by statute or whether the new fertility watchdog should be given powers to issue licences on a case by case basis.

Written by: Catharine Paddock
Writer: Medical News Today
Copyright: Medical News Today
Article URL: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/heal...p?newsid=71376

p.s. friends who know--this was one vow I couldn't stay away from...news

My husband does not support embryonic stem cell research. (I do) There is no discussing it with him - all he will say in the end is

"SLIPPERY SLOPE"


I respect other opinions, but for me this issue is a SLIPPERY SLOPE. I find it scary and cannot support it.

everyone is entitled to their opinion.

Please, let this not be another pro/anti escr thread.

As a UK citizen I welcome this action. Live and let live.

Neil.

do I get anything

junior members eat my dust.

Sorry got over excited.

Neil

good for you, neil!

lol!