Today's headline in the Telegraph states "Scientists to mix cells of humans and cows". To me, this sounds like our worst nightmare. All to be done in the name of research. Something to do with stem-cells from which they can grow all sorts of other living cells.
British scientists have applied for permission to create embryos that are part human, part animal.
Two teams have submitted applications to the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (?) to carry out experiments in which human eggs will be fused with rabbit, cow and goat eggs.
My first thought was this: If I am hoping to experiment in this field, who do I go to in order to get the all clear? Apparently the HFEA are the people to speak to.
Who are they? No idea ... so I had a look on the good old internet.
This is their response when I looked at their home page: -
"Welcome The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) is a statutory body, created in 1991 under the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act (1990).
Our primary remit is to license and monitor UK clinics that offer IVF (in vitro fertilisation) and DI (donor insemination) treatments, and all UK-based research into human embryos. We also regulate the storage of eggs, sperm and embryos."
I read on and got more and more confused when the term 'chimeric' embryos cropped up. I looked up the word 'chimera' in one of my dictionaries and found this: -
chimera. (n) monster in Greek mythology with a lion's head, goat's body and a serpent's tail; bogy; wild or fanciful conception; chimerical (adj)
I read the rest of the article with trepidation and two professors told why they wanted to do this research, possible cures for spinal mucular dystrophy, Parkinson's and Alzheimer's and the lack of human eggs being the reason for wanting to use animal eggs.
All very laudable but who will keep tabs on the odd 'maverick' scientist wanting to make a name for himself by doing his own thing.
Please, please read all you can and ask some vital questions. I have written this off the cuff and I may have missed the point entirely but please follow it up.
The only result that I can see would be to produce, through human and cow eggs, a clone of Buffalo Bill!
2 comments:
I'm neither surprised nor very amused that this is going on, it was inevitable. We all saw it coming yet nobody bothered to take it seriously enough like so many things these days.
Thank you, sir, for your comment. I find that so many aspects of life and death today are so obviously coming and, when you speak to people about the possibility of disaster looming, you begin to hear phrases such as "You're bonkers!" or "I agree ... but we can't do anything about it!" or "Oh you're one of those conspiracy theorists, are you?"
We should make a noise if something is worrying us. You can't see what's coming when your head is stuck firmly in the sand.
It's nice to know there are like-minded people out there.
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