Recent animal feeding trials suggest nutrient levels provided in plants containing this new gene provide nutrient contributions equal to those contained in soy and milk. British life and health insurers must stop using the results of genetic tests to set premium rates until those tests have been validated by an independent body, the government said Thursday. The new body, involving government, insurers and the Human Genetics Advisory Commission, will introduce a validation procedure early next year, Department of Health Minister Tessa Jowell said. The new evaluation mechanism will assess whether there is scientific and actuarial evidence that the result of a genetic test provides a sound basis for insurers' decisions on insurability, the government said. Ministers hope the regulations will allay fears that insurers could demand higher premiums from someone who is found to be likely to develop an inherited disease such as breast cancer.
Insurers use genetic tests for seven specific conditions.
Human embryonic stem cells can develop into any of the body's 210 types of cells, a process that happens naturally during fetal development. Biologists at Geron, the company that supported the research, hope to grow the cells in the laboratory and guide them to develop into heart cells, blood cells and other tissues. The human-cow hybrid cell also complied with all laws, said Michael West, chief executive of Advanced Cell Technology of Worcester, Mass., the company that supported the research. In the hybrid cell, the cow cell's nucleus is first removed and the cow proteins are expected to be rapidly replaced with human proteins as the human nucleus takes over the cell. Although the mingling of species raises many questions, scientists at Advanced Cell Technology regard the operation as one in which the cow egg is used simply to make the human cell's nucleus revert to its embryonic state.