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Scientists to create 'frankenbunny' in big research leap
Last updated at 10:22am on 05.10.06
Rabbit research: Experiments could day one cure Alzheimer's
Scientists are planning to create a "frankenrabbit" by fusing together human cells with a rabbit egg.
It is hoped the "chimeric" embryos, which would be 99.9 per cent human and 0.1 per cent rabbit, could lead to breakthroughs in stem cell research which could one day cure diseases such as Alzheimer's or spinal cord injury.
The embryos will allow scientists to perfect stem cell creation techniques without using human eggs.
"If we learn how to do this with animal eggs, we should be able to have more success with human eggs, and I'd much rather know that if we were going to ask women to donate eggs that we were very likely to get stem cells as a result," said Chris Shaw, at the Institute of Psychiatry.
"We know this is a huge challenge after Dr Hwang in South Korea failed to get stem cells despite having 2,000 human eggs."
Teams in London, Edinburgh and Newcastle are to submit application to the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority this month, requesting licences to create embryos that will be 99.9 per cent human and 0.1 per cent rabbit or cow.
The HFEA is encouraging the applications after legal advice. The embryos will be allowed to grow for only 14 days, at which point they will be cells smaller than a pinhead.
Reader views (8)
Here's a sample of the latest views published. You can click view all to read all views that readers have sent in.
There are thousands of abortions every day in North America alone. We should be using those perfectly viable stem cells that otherwise go to waste to use for testing. Throwing Rabbits into genetic code that might go into humans doesn't sound like a good idea to me. We're not as smart as we think.
- Dan, North Carolina, U.S.A.
We have progressed so far in medicine in my life time it is unbelievable. I hope they continue this work. The niegh sayers will undoubtly critize the work or the motive for the work, but I'll bet they accept the benefit of the research without a protest. I believe the average life time will hit 90 before too long.
- Shane, Boise, Idaho
This is a new low. The 'franken-scientists' aren't remotely interested in the people who get Alzheimers. They are only interested in money.
- Martin, London, UK
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