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Comment: Regulating research at the animal-human interface (AOP)
The time is right to improve the regulation of research involving animals that contain human genetic material, writes Martin Bobrow in a Comment piece in Nature this week.
Thousands of transgenic rodents, inter-species cell lines and animals grafted with human tissue have been created and have contributed to the investigation of health, disease and therapies. But few countries have specifically considered the governance of research that involving animals that contain human material (ACHM), and the topic has had little public discussion. That must change, says Bobrow, chairman of a working group set up by the Academy of Medical Sciences to investigate ACHM (report embargoed for 00.01 London time on 22 July). The current situation creates uncertainty for scientists and could mean that sensitive experiments are done legally but without expert ethical scrutiny.
A public consultation commissioned by the academy revealed concerns about the types of modifications that should be made to animals. Bobrow says that he hopes that the UK Home Office will reshape the Animal Procedures Committee into “a body with a remit to provide guidance on these ethically and socially sensitive kinds of research”. Other countries should follow suit, he concludes, to develop international standards and guidelines with collaboration among regulators, policy-makers, bioethics bodies, funders of medical research and the research community.
A related news story and editorial will be available online when the embargo lifts.
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**Please note a press briefing will take place UNDER STRICT EMBARGO at 10.30am London time on Thursday 21 July. This will be held at the Academy of Medical Sciences, 41 Portland Place, London. Martin Bobrow, Robin Lovell-Badge, Thomas Baldwin, Tara Camm and Christopher Shaw will discuss the report. Please contact Nick Hillier on +44 20 3176 2154 or +44 7788 585 563 to attend.**
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