The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA), the independent regulator for in vitro fertilisation (IVF) treatment and embryo research in the United Kingdom, has approved two applications for research using human-animal cytoplasmic hybrid embryos, but it has required donors of human cells to be clear about how their cells will be used.

The authority’s licensing committee considered that the two applications, from Kings College, London, and Newcastle University, satisfied all the requirements of the law and has offered one year research licences to the two applicants.

The committee said that it had granted permission after a public consultation showed that the public was “at ease” with the research technique. The aim of the two projects is to create hybrid embryos from animal oocytes and human cell nuclei using somatic cell nuclear transfer—taking …