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Human–animal cytoplasmic hybrid embryos, mitochondria, and an energetic debate

Nature Cell Biology volume 9, pages 988–992 (2007)Cite this article

Scientists are seeking permission to generate human embryonic stem cells to study disease by introducing human genetic material into an animal oocyte. This has raised ethical questions that centre on whether the entities being generated are actually human. The answer to these questions will determine how this area of research will be regulated and whether such work will be legal. The function of the extra-nuclear mitochondrial genome lies at the heart of these issues and forms the focus of this commentary.

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Figure 1: The generation of embryonic stem cells through in vitro fertilization (IVF), intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) and somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT).

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Justin St John is in the Mitochondrial and Reproductive Genetics Group, Warwick Medical School, University of Warwick, Clifford Bridge Road, Coventry, CV2 2DX, UK. j.c.st-john@warwick.ac.uk,

    Justin St John

  2. Robin Lovell-Badge is in the Division of Stem Cell Biology and Developmental Genetics, The National Institute for Medical Research, The Ridgeway, Mill Hill, London, NW7 1AA, UK. rlovell@nimr.mrc.ac.uk,

    Robin Lovell-Badge

Authors
  1. Justin St John
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  2. Robin Lovell-Badge
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John, J., Lovell-Badge, R. Human–animal cytoplasmic hybrid embryos, mitochondria, and an energetic debate. Nat Cell Biol 9, 988–992 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1038/ncb436

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