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| Taking patients’ tissue to make human-animal hybrids |
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Sir – As a Catholic, a Jew, and a humanist, with shared values in the area of medicine and ethics, we strongly support medical research using human tissue.
We encourage people, if they have the opportunity, to donate blood or tissue samples to “tissue banks”.
However, in 2008 it is an outmoded concept to expect people to allow blood or tissue to be used without consent.
Britain has led the way in promoting effective procedures to ensure this, via the Human Tissue Authority.
We believe that we should continue to show such leadership: so, if the research is itself controversial, then we expect that the right to “conscientious objection” – for both donor and doctor – should be respected.
We regret that this week the Commons did not amend the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill to incorporate a robust consent clause.
If this is not corrected, then we believe that prospective donors will be discouraged from donating to tissue banks.
We have differing perspectives on human-animal hybridisation, but share the concern: how can people trust in science if their tissue can be used in this way without their consent?
“Presumed consent” is no consent at all.
Professor David Albert Jones, St Mary’s University College, Twickenham
Professor David Katz, University College London Medical School; Dr David King Director, Human Genetics Alert
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