Hybrid Embroys

[Colonello Buendia]

I assume most of us are for this progressive and beneficial advance in the medical world but is there anyone who isn't?

[RedAnarchist]

Perhaps this should go in the Religion forum, as I think most opponents tend to be the religious and you'll probably just get a circle-jerk on this issue in S&E.

[eyedrop]

What is a hybrid embroy? Hybrid embryo? What kind of mix?

[piet11111]

what are the benefits over normal human or animal embryo's ?

[razboz]

maybe a link to an article or something? id look it up but i'm tight on time.

[Cymru]

I think its a good idea. I think the benefits for medical research far outweigh the problem of ethics. This topic always attracts a lot of hate so il move along...

I would post an article link but im not allowed :(

[piet11111]

I think its a good idea. I think the benefits for medical research far outweigh the problem of ethics. This topic always attracts a lot of hate so il move along...

I would post an article link but im not allowed :(

what are the specific benefits of hybrid embryo's over normal human or animal embryo's ?

[RedAnarchist]

I think its a good idea. I think the benefits for medical research far outweigh the problem of ethics. This topic always attracts a lot of hate so il move along...

I would post an article link but im not allowed :(

Yeah, only because you need 25 posts in order to post a link. Its just to stop spambots mostly.

[Lord Testicles]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2007/may/17/genetics.health1

An article on hybrid embroys.

[TC]

what are the specific benefits of hybrid embryo's over normal human or animal embryo's ?

Hybrid embryos aren't really 'hybrids' in the sense of animal hybrids they are animal egg cells with adult human DNA replacing the original. The advantage is that animal embryos can't be used for research for human genetic and cell issues and donating normal human eggs requires a lot of expensive and unpleasent drugs and minor surgery.

Personally I think the only ethically questionable thing about the bill (apart from attempts to lower the abortion limit which, obviously wont pass) is the creation of 'savior siblings.' People should have the right to do whatever they like with their own bodies including implanting themselves with genetically selected or engineered embryos, but having a child for the sake of harvesting its parts for another child is wrong since any intervention would likely take place before the child could give informed consent. Given this I think it should be illegal to select an embryo for its bone marrow but legal to select one for its umbilical stem cells.

[BobKKKindle$]

I think its a good idea. I think the benefits for medical research far outweigh the problem of ethics.

What possible "problem of ethics" could exist in connection with this issue? An embryo based on combined human and animal tissue would only be grown to two hundred cells, and the percentage of tissue that is not of human origin is only very small, and so it is hard to see how the use of hybrid embryos could pose any kind of ethical problem. The fact that the opposition to the use of this technology is mainly from religious groups suggests that opposing arguments lack a scientific basis and are derived from irrational fears which prevent humans from engaging in anything which is not seen as "natural".