UK approves human-animal embryo research

(adds decision)

By Tim Castle

LONDON, Sept 5 (Reuters) - British regulators decided on Wednesday to permit in principle the creation of hybrid human-animal embryos for research into illnesses such as Parkinson's, Motor Neurone Disease and Alzheimer's.

The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) agreed to allow a specific kind of inter-species hybrid, where human DNA is injected into a hollowed out animal egg cell, a spokeswoman for the regulator said.

The resulting "cytoplastic hybrid" embryo, or "cybrid" would be 99.9 percent human and 0.1 percent animal.

Two teams of British scientists have applied to the HFEA for permission to create such hybrids to overcome a shortage of donated human eggs.

Their applications have been on hold for nearly a year, awaiting the outcome of a public consultation by the HFEA.

The researchers hope to use the hybrid embryos, which must be destroyed after 14 days, to create stem cells to help find new medical treatments for degenerative diseases.