Don’t say hybrid: say cybrid. That’s the new name for an embryo created by combining genetic material from humans with eggs from other animals, most likely rabbits or cows. The terminology could help sidestep the UK’s ban on the creation of embryos containing both animal and human genes – and it seems to be working.
On 17 May, the UK government issued a draft bill to overhaul the existing legislation and allow human-animal “cybrids” to be created solely for research purposes. It would also allow animal genes or cells to be added to human embryos for research purposes.
The draft bill…
