Ban called on human & animal stem cell experiments

GE Free New Zealand
In Food And Environment Inc.
www.gefree.org.nz

GE Free New Zealand PRESS RELEASE –20.1.04

Ban called on human and animal stem cell experimentation as hybrid cells created.

GE Free New Zealand are calling for a ban on cross species experimentation using human stem cells in animal embryos after news that hybrid cells have been created in overseas experiments.

The HART - Human Assisted Reproductive Technologies - Bill about to go before Parliament early this year will allow the very type of experimentation which has recently resulted in the creation of hybrid pig human cells and set off alarm bells around the world.

Scientists fear that research of this type (see below) will facilitate the emergence of cross species infections of diseases that previously did not transfer to humans because of the species barrier.

"The breaking down of the species barrier either by this process or by genetic engineering is a major concern of scientists worldwide. It allows for new diseases to develop from existing ones in animals and is therefore a serious public health risk." says Jon Carapiet from GE Free NZ in food and environment.

This new and surprising development has caused a stir amongst scientists and also raises important ethical issues, which have not yet been discussed in society.

In New Zealand the government have recently set up the BioEthics committee, an 'advisory group' with no regulatory power that proposes to consult with the public over ethical issues in the bio-sciences.
The recommendations of the group headed by Sir Paul Reeves will not necessarily become a part of any relevant policy.

"The concern is that this is just government ignoring the issues and hiding behind meaningless consultation so that it can go its own way anyway. This has been the experience with the GE issue," says Mr Carapiet.

The government must review the new information and act accordingly by banning all animal experimentation, with human cells or genes; thus protecting public health and those industries like tourism and agriculture, which could be affected if anything goes wrong.

ENDS
Contact Jon Carapiet 09 815 3370

NEW SCIENTIST "Pig-human chimeras contain cell surprise" l3
Jan 2004

http://www.newscientist.com/news/news.jsp?id=ns99994558

Pig-human chimeras contain cell surprise

13:42 13 January 04 NewScientist.com news service

Pigs grown from fetuses into which human stem cells were injected have
surprised scientists by having cells in which the DNA from the two species is mixed at the most intimate level.

It is the first time such fused cells have been seen in living creatures.
The discovery could have serious implications for xenotransplantation – the use of animal tissue and organs in humans - and even the origin of diseases such as HIV.

The adult pigs that had received human stem cells as fetuses were found to have pig cells, human cells and the hybrid cells in their blood and organs.

MORE...
http://www.newscientist.com/news/news.jsp?id=ns99994558

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