Britain's embryology regulator said on Thursday (January 11) it was going to delay making any decisions on whether scientists could do research on human-animal hybrid embryos until autumn, giving it time to conduct a thorough public consultation on the topic.The decision was met with relief by researchers who had feared that the Human Fertilization and Embryology Authority (HFEA) might bow to government pressure and ban the technology. "Overall, it's a lot better than we might have had," said Lyle Armstrong from the University of Newcastle Upon Tyne, whose team is seeking permission to use animal cells to help generate human embryonic stem cells. "Obviously it's a bit disappointing that there is a delay in our application," he told The Scientist, "but at least a public consultation gives us a chance to explain why we want to do this work and what the science is all about."In a carefully worded...
combined human nuclei with frog eggs1990 Human Fertilization and Embryology Actpolicy document on fertility researchurged the HFEA to adopt a supportive positionStephen Mingerhas announcedspincock@the-scientist.comThe Scientisthttp://www.the-scientist.com/news/display/23877/http://www.ncl.ac.uk/ihg/staff/profile/lyle.armstrongThe Scientisthttp://www.the-scientist.com/article/display/22210/http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts1990/Ukpga_19900037_en_1.htmhttp://www.dh.gov.uk/assetRoot/04/14/13/15/04141315.pdfhttp://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,59-2538977,00.htmlhttps://access.kcl.clientarea.net/schools/biohealth/research/wolfson/sminger.htmlhttp://www.evanharris.org.uk/news/000081.html?PHPSESSID=0f2795b08a4b2c1d9c6ea8b99c330faa
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