Singapore is widely regarded as “the stem cell center of Asia” [1]. It has more than 40 stem cell research groups in the country and allows the use of embryos less than two weeks old for therapeutic purposes. hESC research is licensed by the Human Fertilization and Embryology Authority (HFEA). Licensed research can only take place on IVF embryos up to 14 days after the creation or appearance of the primary band, whichever comes first. Research must be necessary and in line with the objectives of the laws, which include increasing knowledge of serious diseases, developing treatments for serious diseases, promoting infertility treatment, increasing knowledge about the causes of miscarriages, developing more effective contraceptive techniques, developing methods to detect genetic or mitochondrial abnormalities in embryos preimplantations and increase knowledge about embryonic development. Reproductive cloning is prohibited. embryos produced specifically for research purposes by SCNT, `mixed embryos`, including hybrids (produced from human and animal gametes), `cytoplasmic hybrids` (created by SCNT using human nuclei and animal ova), transgenic human embryos (produced by introducing animal DNA into a human cell), chimeric human embryos (produced by introducing one or more animal cells into a human embryo), or other embryos that contain both human and animal DNA, but in which no animal DNA predominates. A March 2009 survey report from the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press notes that opinions on stem cell research have been fairly stable in recent years. hESC research is limited to clinical observations (non-interventional studies). Other uses as well as the import and export of tissues of a human embryo, stem cells of a human embryo and their lines are prohibited.
Details The United States is just one of many countries that play an important role in stem cell research. Over the past decade, several European and Asian countries have become leading research centers on stem cells and their potential therapeutic applications. These countries, along with countries in other parts of the world, have significantly expanded the scope of stem cell research, creating a number of scientific advances and medical applications. Below is an overview of the laws and guidelines on stem cell research in different countries, as well as their important research efforts. Legislation in Russia allows the use of embryonic stem cells obtained from IVF embryos and embryos created for research. Details No legislation on stem cell research. De facto, embryonic research is prohibited, although it is not explicitly formulated as such, as the laws are old. Legally, human embryos are considered “conceived children” and therefore cannot be involved in experiments. hESC research is considered “incompatible with Polish law” by the Polish Parliament. Human embryos cannot be used for non-therapeutic research.
Details In 1999, Israel passed a law banning reproductive but non-therapeutic cloning. Israeli scientists have made significant breakthroughs in stem cell research, including the first extraction of stem cells from the blood in the 1960s. Ongoing research in Israel focuses on regenerative medicine and the practical use of stem cells to treat diseases such as diabetes, Parkinson`s disease and Lou Gehrig`s disease. Belgium prohibits reproductive cloning, but allows therapeutic cloning of embryos. Belgium is widely recognized by the international scientific community as passionate about stem cell research, and Belgian scientists successfully extracted stem cell lines from cloned embryos in 2005. These heart cells on an electrocardiogram chip were obtained from human embryonic stem cells. Source: Volker Sterger/SPL The proliferation of stem cell research, coupled with its ethical and moral implications, has led governments to call for regulation of stem cell science and funding. Due to the diversity of opinions and cultural views, there is no single guideline or set of rules to regulate stem cell research. Instead, each country has developed its own policies. The following map lists the general legal and policy environment related to stem cell research by country. In March 2005, Brazil passed a law allowing stem cell research with excess in vitro fertilized embryos that have been frozen for at least three years.
That same year, however, a petition supported by Brazil`s Catholic Church challenged the law, arguing that embryonic stem cell research violated the right to life. In 2008, Brazil`s Supreme Court rejected the petition and ruled that embryonic stem cell research was allowed. The world needs the groundbreaking research that Japan and other countries are doing in stem cell biology – and it needs promising therapies for chronic diseases. But moving from one to the other takes time, and strict safety precautions should not be bypassed. Policymakers, regulators, researchers and entrepreneurs who take shortcuts can put people`s health at risk. Germany has one of the most restrictive guidelines for human embryonic stem cell research, in part because of the history of unethical medical experiments conducted by the Nazi regime during World War II. For example, the formation of embryonic stem cells is prohibited. However, in April 2008, German law approved the use of imported stem cell lines prior to 1. May 2007 to facilitate the study of stem cell therapy. There is no law on stem cell research. The production of hESC is prohibited and de facto, import or research with hESC is prohibited.
The use of human embryos and gametes for research purposes is prohibited. The production of hES cells as well as therapeutic and reproductive cloning are prohibited. Details In the global race for companies that offer stem cell therapies, one country wants to stand out from its competitors – Japan. * Turkey is one of many countries where no specific regulations and directives have yet been established by legal or state institutions for human embryonic stem cell research. Dr. Necati Findikli of Istanbul Memorial Hospital reported in 2005 the first known derivation of human embryonic stem cells from embryos donated to the blastocyst stage in Turkey. Reproductive Medicine Online 10(5), 617-627, 2005. Il-2R Agonism-1-cis provides better EFFECTORS from CD8+ STEM-type T-cell countries with a permissive or flexible Australian policy.
“Research Involving Human Embryos Act, 2002.” “Prohibition of human cloning for reproduction and regulation of the Law Amending Research on Human Embryos in 2006.” [PDF] Belgium. FEDERAL PUBLIC SERVICE PUBLIC HEALTH, SAFETY OF THE FOOD CHAIN AND ENVIRONMENT. 11 MAY 2003. Law on Research on In Vitro Embryos. p. 29287. Brazil. Projeto de Lei PL-2401/2003, Lei de Biossegurança, 2005. Kanada. Health Canada Online: Assisted Human Reproduction, Human Cloning and Stem Cell Research. China. Ministry of Technology, Science and Health, “Guidelines for Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research”, January 2004.
Authorized translation, Bioethics Network in China. (“China releases document banning human cloning” People`s Daily Online) Czech Republic. Draft Law on Research on Human Embryonic Stem Cells. [The law was approved by the Czech Parliament and signed by President Vaclav Klaus on 12 May 2006]. Finland. Opinion on the allocation of EU FP6 funds for embryonic stem cells, The National Advisory Board on Health Care Ethics – ETENE, 2003. Amended by the Senate at second reading in bioethical terms. Adoption with amendments by the National Assembly. Title V: Research on embryos and embryonic cells. Deliberations in open court, Paris, 8 June 2004. According to the law, French researchers are allowed to obtain stem cells from embryos donated from spring 2005.