David Batty and agencies
Human-animal embryos are to be created in the UK after scientists today won approval for the practice from the fertility and embryo research watchdog.
The decision by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) means that teams from King's College London and Newcastle University can now create the embryos, which could lead to new treatments for a range of diseases.
The stem cell biology laboratory at King's College will use them to study degenerative neurological diseases such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's.
The Northeast England Stem Cell Institute at Newcastle University has been licensed to research the growth of replacement tissues for treating conditions such as diabetes and spinal paralysis.
A statement from the HFEA said: "The HFEA licence committee determined that the two applications satisfied all the requirements of the law and has now offered one-year research licences to the two applicants, subject to a series of detailed conditions in each case."
The "cytoplasmic hybrids" are created by transferring the nuclei of human cells, such as skin cells, into animal eggs from which almost all the genetic information has been removed.
The resulting embryo contains only a tiny amount of animal DNA - around 0.1% - with the rest human. The embryo would be grown in a lab and within a week would have divided to form a tiny ball of around 200 cells. Scientists believe they could provide an invaluable source of embryonic stem cells for use in research on human diseases.
Dr Lyle Armstrong, of Newcastle University, said the granting of the award was "great news", and expressed hopes the team could now make "rapid progress".
"We initially applied for approval to use cow eggs as a means to understand the way they can convert skin cells into embryonic stem cells.
"Finding better ways to make human embryonic stem cells is the long-term objective of our work and understanding reprogramming is central to this.
"Cow eggs seem to be every bit as good at doing this job as human eggs so it makes sense to use them since they are much more readily available but it is important to stress that we will only use them as a scientific tool and we need not worry about cells derived from them ever being used to treat human diseases."
Professor Stephen Minger, director of the King's College team, thanked scientists, medical charities and patient organisations for their support during the application process. "This shows that the scientific community can be involved in and influence government policy."
The HFEA said in September that it agreed in principle with the creation of hybrid embryos.
A consultation paper published by the HFEA showed that the public was mostly "at ease" with the proposals once the full research implications had been explained.
The government published the human tissue and embryos bill, which includes a regulation-making power that could lead to human-animal hybrid embryos being allowed. The HFEA has carried out its own review under existing laws ahead of parliament passing the new legislation.
Professor Robin Lovell-Badge, head of stem cell biology at the Medical Research Council's national institute for medical research, said: "The HFEA's decision is excellent as it adds to the arsenal of techniques UK scientists can use to provide understanding and eventually develop therapies for a wide range of devastating genetic diseases."
But the news has angered religious groups and pro-life campaigners.
John Smeaton, national director of the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children (SPUC) said: "The HFEA decision represents a disastrous setback for human dignity in Britain. The deliberate blurring of the boundaries between humans and other species is wrong and strikes at the heart of what makes us human."
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I'll just ask the question on everybody's mind.
Does this mean Ninja Turtles?