Scientists in Chicago have for the first time made human embryos that are part male and part female, raising ethical questions and prompting calls for more oversight of the rapidly evolving field of human embryo manipulation. The experiments, described at a meeting of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology in Madrid, aimed to answer basic questions about human embryo development and develop therapies for congenital diseases. The hybrid embryos were destroyed after six days, when they’d grown into a microscopic, mixed-gender ball, according to a synopsis of the work submitted by research leader, Norbert Gleicher of the Foundation for Reproductive Medicine. Such work is legal in the US if federal funds aren’t used and if the male and female embryos that Gleicher merged were donated for research, as Gleicher reported they were. Nonetheless, his presentation on Wednesday drew criticism from scientists at the meeting. The experiments also angered US opponents of human embryo research and prompted some ethicists to refresh their call for a national debate about the pros and cons of human embryo studies. ‘‘I don’t know if this work is ‘right’ or ‘wrong,’ but it should be reviewed and discussed long and hard before it’s done,’’ said George Annas, a professor of bioethics at Boston University. Gleicher couldn’t be reached for comment. (LAT-WP)
