GM cows face slaughter in multiple sclerosis experiment

Nature 411, 402 (2001) © Macmillan Publishers Ltd.

BOB BROCKIE

[WELLINGTON, NEW ZEALAND] The New Zealand High Court has granted a stay of execution on its ruling to slaughter a small herd of cows pregnant with genetically modified calves.


Errors in law could halt studies using GM cows.

The unborn calves are part of a programme aimed at developing a treatment for multiple sclerosis. Researchers at life-sciences company AgResearch have inserted the gene for human myelin basic protein into the embryos in the hope of producing high levels of the protein in the cattle's milk. They hope to use the protein to develop therapies for multiple sclerosis.

The Environmental Risk Management Authority (ERMA), the statutory body that vets any genetic engineering in New Zealand, approved the experiments last year. But activists and Maoris challenged the approval and the High Court ruled, for a second time, that the experiment must stop.

The court did not question the science behind the research but ruled that ERMA made errors of law in its approval process. ERMA has a week to reconsider its approval and to present details of its decision to the court, or the experiment must stop. If ERMA fails, the cattle will be slaughtered on 28 May.

The Green Party, which opposes any form of genetic modification, is calling for the immediate slaughter of the cows. The head of the research programme, Phil L'Hullier, frustrated at the delays, recently resigned to pursue similar work in Australia.

Category: 29. GMOs