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Sunday, 4 May 2008

The hybrid embryo.

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The scientists at Newcastle University in England have developed hybrid embryos for the first time in the UK. It has created a clash between the supporters like medical bodies, patient groups and opponents like the Catholic Church. The issue is put for open voting.

These embryos are hybrid. That means part human, part animal. First, the eggs from a cow’s ovaries are taken, all genetic factors removed. Then DNA derived from human skin cells is injected. The cytoplasmic embryos formed this way are 99%human. The embryos are three days old now. The aim is to extract stem cells from the embryos when they are 6 days and older, to study and understand wide range of diseases.

I hope the research continues, and hopefully the scientists are successful, so that many millions of patients worldwide will have proper treatments for their life threatening diseases. The university people say that the findings so far look promising. The legislation bill is due for debate in the parliament next month. It is only few cells, not as the opponents’ wild imagination of hybrid animal or something.

Scientists say they will not let these embryos to grow more than 14 days. Also, these embryos will never be implanted in a woman’s uterus. These embryos can be very helpful in finding effective treatment for diseases like diabetes, parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, stroke, motor neurone diseases and congenital muscular maldevelopements. For example, it will allow the scientists to generate nerve cells with the same genetic material as a patient with parkinson’s.

This will help them to study why the nerve cells die in parkinson’s.With all due respect to the Catholic Church and all the opponents of the research, I would like say, that if this helps to cure serious medical conditions of millions of people, we should never oppose it for religious or ethical reasons. Because saving human lives is never illegal, immoral, unethical, or irreligious.

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