Link (http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070905/sc_nm/britain_embryo_dc)LONDON) (Reuters) - British regulators decided on Wednesday to permit in principle the creation of hybrid human-animal embryos for research into illnesses such as Parkinson's, Motor Neurone Disease and Alzheimer's.I found this part interesting:
The researchers hope to use the hybrid embryos, which must be destroyed after 14 days, to create stem cells that might provide new medical treatments for degenerative diseases.

Scientists in China, the United States and Canada have already carried out similar work. Emphasis mine.

Also:
The survey found people supported the creation of the kind of hybrid embryos proposed by the two research teams, but only when they were given a reason for the experiments.

A majority of those asked -- 61 percent -- said they gave their backing if the hybrids helped understand some diseases.

That support fell to 35 percent if the hybrids were being created purely for non-specific research.What a peculiar prejudice.
Enjoy.

Horray for Frakenbunnies!

No more peculiar than opposing anything open ended (taxes, wars, etc..).

do they specify exactly what kind of critters they're using? I'd like to at least be able to identify the horrible mutant before it kills me.

Why…oh why the humanity. Haven’t they learned anything from Hollywood? Can’t they remember seeing Marlon Brando and Val Kilmer in the 1996 version of “The Island of Dr. Moreau” or the 1977 version with Burt Lancaster and Michael York? H.G. Wells is being proven a great predictor of future events. Now I just hope the Morlocks don’t come around anytime soon.

I find it a little hypocritical that the US will not allow certain types of stem cell research, but allow something like this.

Add on: I also find opinion poll a little idiotic. It is alright to do this research as long as you are looking at a particular diseases, but just to answer the question can it be done is not appropriate. Don’t they understand how often researchers studying or looking for results in one area actually produce results in a completely different area? Take Sildnafil that was originally designed for use for high blood pressure, but is now know as Viagra and used for a completely different function.

do they specify exactly what kind of critters they're using? I'd like to at least be able to identify the horrible mutant before it kills me.

They're killed after fourteen days...

And before anyone starts the "oooh, it's evil" argument, I'd like to remind you what the world thought of Edward Jenner's smallpox vaccine:

http://openlearn.open.ac.uk/file.php/2642/S320_1_002i.jpg)

I don't think I really need to explain further my point but would we have been better off if Jenner hadn't infected humans with that dastardly, animal disease, cowpox, thus violating the laws of nature? I think not.

Why…oh why the humanity. Haven’t they learned anything from Hollywood? Can’t they remember seeing Marlon Brando and Val Kilmer in the 1996 version of “The Island of Dr. Moreau” or the 1977 version with Burt Lancaster and Michael York? H.G. Wells is being proven a great predictor of future events. Now I just hope the Morlocks don’t come around anytime soon.

I find it a little hypocritical that the US will not allow certain types of stem cell research, but allow something like this.

Was wondering if that might be because the embryo can't develop into a human being (ie nonviable) and animal experimentation is considered ok.

Alright! Mutant soldiers for everybody!!!

The reason why human-animal embryo research might be okay is becuase anything that is not fully human is an animal, and therefore, can be treated like an animal. Therefore, we can do anything to said animal.

It can be said to be morally premissable for religious people, much more morally premissable than harvesting fully human embryos. Why? Because it's okay to harm animals, but not okay to harm humans. Therefore, it is okay to harm animal embryos but not okay to harm human embyros. We are superior to animals, hence we can harm animals for the greater good. So that why I said "Horray for Frakenbunnies!" because now we can pull off stem-cell research without any fear of upsetting religious conservatives.

Thats totally idiotic - why dont they just use human embryos? We are animals too afterall, and if we are looking for a cure for humans, we should use human cells for the best possible result. Or am I wrong and it doesn't matter which species we test on?

It basically sounds like a bad excuse, just to make all those "no-human-testing-people" happy.

Not really. Using human cells is bad because humans are, well, human. I'm sure pro-life advocates would wonder that if we can test on human embryos, why can't we test on human babies...Plus, humans need to consent to experiments...and embryos can't really do that.

It doesn't really matter what species it is taken up on. The frankenbunnies have all of the human DNA, the only "bunny" part of the Frankenbunny is the cytoplasm. So, everything is mostly fine.

It doesn't really matter what species it is taken up on. The frankenbunnies have all of the human DNA, the only "bunny" part of the Frankenbunny is the cytoplasm. So, everything is mostly fine.

Well since the frankenbunnies have all the human DNA and if you consider embryos life, then why shouldn’t they also be required to give their consent? I actually agree with you and don’t see a problem with this type of experimentation, but personally I don’t know conclusively at what stage life begins. I also know the frankenbunnies are designed to have a short life cycle, but so do other species and that does not make them any less relevant.

I don’t consider an aborted fetus to be a life (any longer) and just don’t understand why experiments can not be used with this dead matter. After all my step-mother donated her body to science and the government had no problem with that. Some good can come out of death. Does the government actually believe that women will get pregnant then have an abortion just in the name of science?

Was wondering if that might be because the embryo can't develop into a human being (ie nonviable) and animal experimentation is considered ok. What’s PETA think about this?