Move to lift ban on hybrid embryos

Britain's top scientists are calling on the Government to lift a ban on the use of embryos created from human eggs and animal sperm.

A study published tomorrow by the Academy of Medical Sciences concludes that there is no compelling moral or ethical reason why research should not be allowed using hybrid human-animal material. The AMS, whose members include eminent geneticists and doctors, also says this highly controversial research, illegal in several countries, could help find cures for cancer and other fatal diseases.

The UK is a world leader in embryo research and is doing pioneering work to provide stem cells - immature cells that can develop into many different types of tissue - for use in medical research. But it has prompted an outcry from pro-life groups that oppose any such research.

Last month, the Government published a draft fertility Bill that would allow scientists to create three specific types of human-animal embryos or chimeras. But the new laws exclude the creation of true hybrid embryos, combining a human egg and animal sperm or vice versa.

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