Cybrids, or cytoplasmic hybrids, are eukaryotic cell lines formed by fusing human cells with enucleated animal cells, resulting in embryos that are 99.9% human and 0.1% animal. This 0.1% is attributed to the mitochondrial DNA from the animal cytoplast, which lacks nuclear DNA. British scientists, with approval from the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA), are pursuing this research to create stem cells for treating degenerative diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. The process involves injecting human DNA into an animal egg cell, which is a critical step in overcoming the shortage of human eggs for research.
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cytoplasmic_hybridCybrids, or cytoplasmic hybrids, are eukaryotic cell lines produced by the fusion of whole cells with cytoplasts. Cytoplasts are enucleated cells.
All Things Considered, September 5, 2007 · British regulators decided Wednesday to allow, at least in principle, the creation of hybrid human-animal embryos for research into degenerative diseases. The move came despite fierce opposition from some church and ethics groups.
Two teams of British scientists had applied to Britain's Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) for permission to create what are known in Britain as cytoplastic hybrids, or cybrids, in order to overcome a shortage of donated human eggs.
The process involves injecting human DNA into an animal egg cell from which the nucleus has been removed.
Researchers hope to use the hybrid embryos, which must be destroyed after 14 days, which would create stem cells. The stem cells could be used to help find new medical treatments for diseases such as Alzheimer's, Lou Gehrig's, and Parkinson's.
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Scientists have said they understand that the idea of the process — which would create a hybrid embryo that is 99.9 percent human and 0.1 percent animal — might be shocking to some people. But Dr. Stephen Minger of Kings College London says the public should not be alarmed.
It seems that the other small percentage reflects the genetics introduced into the cytoplasmic hybrid by fusing an anucleated cell from a non-human source (no nuclear DNA) with function mitochondria (with their mitochondrial genome) with a human cell with possibly no functional mitochondria. The mitochondrial genome is very small compared to the nuclear genome whihc results in a small %.Astronuc said:So what's the other 1% or 0.1%?