155 ibridi uomo-animale sono stati segretamente creati negli ultimi 3 anni nei laboratori inglesi. La tesi ufficiale è che servano per studiare le malattie e trovare nuove cure. Si tratta di ‘cibridi’, ovuli animali fecondati da uno spermatozoo umano, in cui un nucleo umano viene impiantato in una cellula animale. E poi di ‘chimere’, in cui le cellule umane sono mescolate con embrioni animali. La notizia era stata diffusa già il 22 Luglio, ma riprende fuoco oggi dopo che due nuovi scienziati che lavoravano ai progetti di creazione degli ibridi si sono dissociati denunciando estremismi nella sperimentazione. I lavori si erano interrotti per mancanza di fondi, ma adesso è stato trovato un grosso finanziatore e gli studi genetici sembrerebbero pronti a ripartire. Per questo i due scienziati, che hanno voluto rimanere anonimi per paura delle solite ritorsioni, hanno di nuovo rotto il silenzio risollevando il problema etico di tali manipolazioni.
Il professor Robin Lovell_Badge, del Medical Research Council’ s National Institute for Medical Research, a capo degli studi, sostiene che gli scienziati non sono preoccupati degli ibridi uomo animale perchè per legge devono distruggerli dopo 14 giorni dalla nascita. Spiega che la ragione per fare quegli esperimenti è capire di più quali siano stati i cambiamenti e gli sviluppi dei primi umani rispetto ai primati, che trovare la cura per gravi malattia sia un imperativo che la medicina deve perseguire. Perciò la ricerca deve andare avanti, e finchè ci sarà il giusto controllo sui mezzi bisognerà esserne orgogliosi.
Nessun dubbio quindi sulla moralità di far nascere creature che assomigliano a chissà cosa, con corpi chissà come, magari capaci di apprendere e comunicare come un essere umano. Perchè diciamoci la verità, il tempo per arrivarci l’avranno. Altro che 14 giorni. Non crederò mai al fatto che, dopo tanta fatica per ottenere gli embrioni, li distruggano come castelli di carta. Li terrano vivi, nascosti in luoghi segreti o forse neanche tanto, e li useranno come la peggiore delle cavie. Orgogliosi come diabolici dei delle loro incredibili creazioni, nate per essere squartate, torturate, fatte ammalare e soffrire perchè, in fondo, sono scherzi di natura. E poi uccise come mosche fastidiose. Il numero ufficiale, reso pubblico, è 155. Non oso pensare quale sia la verità. [sc:BR]
150 human animal hybrids grown in UK labs: Embryos have been produced secretively for the past three years
Scientists have created more than 150 human-animal hybrid embryos in British laboratories.
The hybrids have been produced secretively over the past three years by researchers looking into possible cures for a wide range of diseases.
The revelation comes just a day after a committee of scientists warned of a nightmare ‘Planet of the Apes’ scenario in which work on human-animal creations goes too far.
Last night a campaigner against the excesses of medical research said he was disgusted that scientists were ‘dabbling in the grotesque’.
Figures seen by the Daily Mail show that 155 ‘admixed’ embryos, containing both human and animal genetic material, have been created since the introduction of the 2008 Human Fertilisation Embryology Act.
This legalised the creation of a variety of hybrids, including an animal egg fertilised by a human sperm; ‘cybrids’, in which a human nucleus is implanted into an animal cell; and ‘chimeras’, in which human cells are mixed with animal embryos.
Scientists say the techniques can be used to develop embryonic stem cells which can be used to treat a range of incurable illnesses.
Three labs in the UK – at King’s College London, Newcastle University and Warwick University – were granted licences to carry out the research after the Act came into force.
All have now stopped creating hybrid embryos due to a lack of funding, but scientists believe that there will be more such work in the future.
The figure was revealed to crossbench peer Lord Alton following a Parliamentary question.
Last night he said: ‘I argued in Parliament against the creation of human- animal hybrids as a matter of principle. None of the scientists who appeared before us could give us any justification in terms of treatment.
‘Ethically it can never be justifiable – it discredits us as a country. It is dabbling in the grotesque.
‘At every stage the justification from scientists has been: if only you allow us to do this, we will find cures for every illness known to mankind. This is emotional blackmail.
‘Of the 80 treatments and cures which have come about from stem cells, all have come from adult stem cells – not embryonic ones.
‘On moral and ethical grounds this fails; and on scientific and medical ones too.’
Josephine Quintavalle, of 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?
‘The problem with many scientists is that they want to do things because they want to experiment. That is not a good enough rationale.’
Earlier this week, a group of leading scientists warned about ‘Planet of the Apes’ experiments. They called for new rules to prevent lab animals being given human attributes, for example by injecting human stem cells into the brains of primates.
But the lead author of their report, Professor Robin Lovell-Badge, from the Medical Research Council’ s National Institute for Medical Research, said the scientists were not concerned about human-animal hybrid embryos because by law these have to be destroyed within 14 days.
He said: ‘The reason for doing these experiments is to understand more about early human development and come up with ways of curing serious diseases, and as a scientist I feel there is a moral imperative to pursue this research.
‘As long as we have sufficient controls – as we do in this country – we should be proud of the research.’
However, he called for stricter controls on another type of embryo research, in which animal embryos are implanted with a small amount of human genetic material.
Human-animal hybrids are also created in other countries, many of which have little or no regulation. Source: mabastablog, dailymail
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