asked Her Majesty's Government:
Further to the Written Answer by Lord Darzi of Denham on 23 October 2007 (WA 99–100) regarding activities prohibited by South Korea's ministry of health and welfare, whether entities created by inserting somatic cell nuclei from animals into human eggs (whether enucleated or not) would be classified as admixed human embryos within the legislative remit of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority, or whether such embryos would not be subject to legislative regulation in the United Kingdom. [HL3223]
Inserting an animal somatic cell nucleus into an enucleated human egg would produce an embryo which is over 99 per cent animal and which is not a human admixed embryo for the purposes of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act. Inserting an animal somatic cell nucleus into a human egg would result in an embryo with three sets of chromosomes, two of which were animal and one of which was human, if any embryo could result from such a process, it would be predominantly animal and would not be a human admixed embryo for the purposes of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act.
The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill prohibits the placing of such an embryo into a woman. Any proposal to place such an embryo in an animal would fall to be considered under the Animal (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986.
asked Her Majesty's Government:
Further to the Written Answer by Lord Darzi of Denham on 30 January (WA 120–1) regarding the mixing of human and animal gametes, under which provision of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill would the placing of live human sperm into a nonhuman animal be prohibited; and, if it would not be prohibited, how consent would be obtained for such practices; and [HL3224]
Under which provision of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill gamete intra-fallopian transfer of human eggs and sperm into a non-human animal would be prohibited if it does not directly involve placing a fully human embryo in the animal. [HL3396]
A proposal to carry out such procedures would fall to be considered under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986. The Act makes provision for the protection of animals used for experimental or other scientific purposes which may have the effect of causing pain, suffering, distress or lasting harm. It sets out a number of conditions which must be satisfied before a licence can be issued authorising regulated procedures and allows wide discretion when reaching licensing decisions.
It is not sufficient that an application satisfies the requirements of the Act for it to be granted. In reaching licensing decisions, the Secretary of State can and does take into account wider societal concerns. This is done on a case by case basis and ensures that ethical and scientific considerations are carefully and fully weighed and that a proper balance is struck when licensing decisions are taken.
The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill sets out consent requirements for the use of gametes in the creation of human embryos and human admixed embryos in vitro, and for the storage of human gametes.
asked Her Majesty's Government:
Further to the Written Answer by Lord Darzi of Denham on 21 April (WA 234) regarding the paper by Yu-Chih Hsu in volume 231 of Nature, how the paper supports the decision by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority to permit culture of human embryos for longer than 14 days given its description of contractions resembling a heart beat after 10–14 days of mouse embryo cultivation in vitro; and [HL3226]
Further to the Written Answer by Lord Darzi of Denham on 21 April (WA 234) regarding differences between retention of the structure of an inner cell mass on different surfaces, whether seeding a human blastocyst onto feeder cells more closely resembles a collagen surface or naked plastic. [HL3227]
The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) has procedures in place to ensure that centres comply with Sections 3(3)(a) and 3(4) of the 1990 Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990. The HFEA checks compliance on a case by case basis upon inspection.
The culture of mouse embryos, as described by Hsu et al (1974), involved culture on a collagen surface with the intention of nurturing a 3D structure. As far as the HFEA is aware, this study is the only one in which contractions resembling a heart beat have been observed in mammalian embryos cultured in vitro. The gestation period of a mouse is 19 days, meaning at 10 to 14 days a mouse embryo would be over halfway through the normal gestation period.
When culturing inner cell masses which have outgrown from the structure of an embryo, centres must ensure that the method used does not allow embryos to develop past 14 days or the appearance of the primitive streak. The method used must result in a flat culture of cells and not a 3D structure. Embryos that have attached and outgrown on the surface of the dish no longer have the organisation structure of a viable embryo.