British scientists have created more than 150 human-animal hybrid embryos – known as “cybrids” – in laboratories over the last three years, the British
Daily Mail reported Sunday.
The purpose is to look for cures for a wide range of diseases, the Mail reports, but the revelation comes just a day after a group of prestigious scientists warned of a "Planet of the Apes" scenario in which work on human-animal creations goes too far.
The Daily Mail reported that it had documented 155 "admixed" embryos containing both human and animal genetic material. The research is the result of a 2008 law, the 2008 Human Fertilization Embryology Act, which permits the creation of a variety of hybrids, including an animal egg fertilized by a human sperm. Another creation is known as a “chimera” – human cells mixed with animal embryos.
Josephine Quintavalle, of the British pro-life group Comment on Reproductive Ethics, said: “I am aghast that this is going on and we didn’t know anything about it.
“Why have they kept this a secret? If they are proud of what they are doing, why do we need to ask Parliamentary questions for this to come to light?”
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