HFEA will defend challenge from Christian group on hybrid embryo research

doi:10.1136/bmj.39552.380370.C2

BMJ 2008;336:850-851 (19 April), doi:10.1136/bmj.39552.380370.C2

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HFEA will defend challenge from Christian group on hybrid embryo research

Susan Mayor

¹ London

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA), thebody that regulates embryo research in the United Kingdom, will"robustly" defend a legal challenge filed with the High Courtlast week on the HFEA’s decision to grant licences forresearch using hybrid human-animal embryos.

The Christian Legal Centre (a non-denominational group campaigningfor Christian values) and Comment on Reproductive Ethics (whichdescribes itself as a public interest group on human reproductionissues) have asked for a judicial review of the HFEA’sdecision in January to approve research using human-animal cytoplasmichybrid embryos by scientists at King’s College Londonand Newcastle University (BMJ 2008;336:177 doi: 10.1136/bmj.39468.639873.DB).

The claimants filed their petition on two grounds. They claimthat the relevant legislation, the Human Fertilisation and EmbryologyAct 1990, does not allow licensing of human-animal hybrid embryosand, in fact, contains a prohibition on the creation of suchembryos. "Therefore, no licence . . . [Full text of this article]

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