Regulators are due to make a decision whether to allow human-animal embryos to be created and used for research.
The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority is expected to give the plan the go-ahead in principle - but each case will still be judged individually.
An HFEA consultation showed the public were "at ease" with the idea when told it could pave the way for therapies for conditions such as Alzheimer's disease.
Scientists want to create hybrid embryos by merging human cells with animal eggs in a bid to extract stem cells.
If the HFEA does agree human-animal embryo research can go ahead, there would be individual hearings for these two applications, probably in November.
clipped from: news.bbc.co.uk 