Britain says yes to the creation of cloned hybrid embryos

According to the Times Online, Britain's Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority has "agreed in principle" to allow scientists to attempt to create cloned hybrid embryos using animal eggs. Within three months they'll decide whether to grant licenses to various researchers who've applied to do this research. Check out this quote from Stephen Minger.

"It has always been our view that the use of non-human oocytes [eggs] for SCNT is currently the only ethically justifiable option, given the large numbers of eggs required to derive cloned human stem cell lines from individuals with incurable and highly progressive neurological disorders."

Did you catch that? Minger and his colleagues have always believed using animal eggs is the only ethical way to clone embryos for stem cells. I wonder if American researchers feel the same way.

Remember the good ol' days when researchers said they just wanted to use embryos who were going to be thrown away.

Gotta love this headline from USA Today. Notice how the word "embryo" is mysteriously missing from the AP article.

Tags: cloning, stem cell, hybrid embryos, Britain