Human genes are safe to eat, says Dolly scientist

The creator of Dolly the sheep will this week argue that that there is nothing wrong with eating human genes.

Dr Ron James, director of PPL Therapeutics, the commercial arm of the Roslin Institute, will address a major gathering of dietitians with a lecture entitled "Could you? Would you? Should you eat a ham sandwich containing human genes?" He will say that, as most people have swallowed human genes at some point, the fear of genetically modified foods is misplaced.

Speaking ahead of his presentation at the International Congress of Dietetics in Edinburgh on Tuesday, he said: "When you cut your finger what do you do? You suck the blood.

"Ethically, is there any difference in consuming your own human genes than genes from a tomato transplanted into a fish? Once people have come to terms with the fact that they have eaten human genes, it is easier to accept genetically modified food."

Dr James points out that most babies consume their mother's genes while breast feeding. He says we have never worried about consuming the genes of all the partners we have kissed.

Explaining the controversial title of his presentation he added: "The ethical consideration will be discussed by reference to the hypothetical example of eating the rest of a pig which has been genetically modified to provide organs viable for transplant in humans.

"Fear of GM foods is misplaced and modified foods should be considered on a product-by-product basis."

One of PPL's latest projects has been to create cows that can replicate human mothers' milk. The company has some cows in America whose milk contains a protein component of human milk. Ultimately the scientists hope to "knock out" genes producing animal protein in cows' milk while elevating the levels of human protein. The result would be a cow whose milk is virtually the same as that from a human mother's breast.

Dr James hopes his discussion will bring the public round to the controversial proposal.

But, Kevin Dunion of Friends of the Earth, Scotland, who will also speak at the conference, disagrees. He said: "There are societal and religious concerns about transferring genes of humans or pigs.

"There is also a difference in what we do either by accident or without thinking and the deliberate tampering with genes for someone else's profit."

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