Embryonic Stem Cell Research

THE UNITED KINGDOM

By : Kristina Kamlesh
UK and their embryonic stem cell research -

- Human Fertilization and Embryology Act in 1990.

- Human embryonic stem cell research was allowed in 2000.

- In 2008, there was a change after which the legislation imposes a strict system of
controls on the creation, storage and use of embryos outside the human body.

- A license is required to do any of these mentioned activities from a body known as the
Human Fertilization and Embryology Authority (HFEA).

- No embryo can be kept or used after 14 days of its development.

UK and their embryonic stem cell research -

- License might be granted to create embryos solely for the purpose of medical research,
including their use to develop embryonic stem cell lines.

- In UK’s point of view, easing suffering and disease promotes human dignity and
happiness, and that destroying a blastocyst is not the same as taking a human life.

- However, UK Stem Cell Bank is a resource set up to act as a central reserve for
high-quality research materials and also to help reduce the number of embryos that
would have to be created and destroyed in the name of research.

- This research is like a moral duty and is not disrespected or misused in any way.
Bibliography for research over the method/country preference -

- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19023285/
- https://www.futuremedicine.com/doi/10.2217/rme-2019-0138
- https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/countries-where-stem-cell-research-is-most-popula
r.html
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28579405/
- https://academic.oup.com/humrep/article/18/4/672/596542
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18988380/
- https://www.nature.com/articles/35022712
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6127884/
- https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/769244
- https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0017684