Cow eggs fused with human DNA (11/8/2006)

Researchers from Newcastle University and Kings College, London, have applied for permission from the Human Fertilization and Embryology Authority in Great Britain for a three-year license to create embryos by fusing human DNA with cow eggs.

The hybrid human-bovine embryos would be used for stem cell research and would not be used to create a human-cow hybrid. The embryos wouldn't be allowed to develop for more than a few days.

The reason for the need to create such an embryo is that human eggs, which are used to harvest stem cells, are in short supply, and to obtain them women have to undergo surgery. Using the cow eggs as a substitute would alleviate that problem

The process would work by inserting human DNA into a cow's egg which has had its genetic material removed. The embryo would be developed using the same Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer technique used to clone Dolly the sheep. The resulting embryo would be 99.9% human and the only cow DNA would be that outside the nucleus of the cell.

The process hasn't been used so far, so scientists want to check and see if it will work. While testing the technique they plan to examine the way the cells are reprogrammed after the fusion to determine if they can replicate the process without the need for an animal egg at all.

Currently it takes hundreds of human ooctyes (eggs) to generate a single human embryonic stem cell line. Many people fear that this will put a huge demand on women to sell there eggs for research.

Recently young women in Great Britain have been using the funds they earn for selling there eggs to pay bills. As the demand rises they may eventually be paid significant sums for the eggs.

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