The UK’s Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) has decided to open the question of whether to allow animal-human hybrid embryos to be developed for research purposes to public debate. The HFEA licenses and monitors IVF and donor insemination clinics, and research centres that use embryos. They also regulate the storage of embryos, eggs and sperm. The HFEA has received two requests from scientists who want to use human cells and animal eggs to produce stem cells for research. Members of the authority met yesterday to decide whether it was in their remit to grant such a request, and if so, then how best to go about it. Chief Executive of the HFEA, Angela McNab, said earlier today that ‘the issues around hybrid and chimera research are unique and different from mainstream human embryo research.’ She adds that the law is not clear and that such research would lead to ‘a significant step change in UK science.’ The HFEA decided two things. First, that it is in their remit to regulate human-animal hybrid and chimera research, and secondly, that the public should be consulted to establish in principle, whether such research should be allowed in the […]