tsunami
...ht to bear on governments to permit research on stem cells from human embryos. Even where human embryo research has previously been allowed, the research has been limited to fertility applications using left over embryos from in vitro fertilisation (IVF) procedures. The main ethical problem with embryonic stem cell research is that embryos are routinely destroyed as the cells are extracted from them. There is a range of differing policies on embryo research in various countries: • Britain supported a recommendation from its chief medical officer in August 2000 that creating embryos for therapeutic purposes other than treating infertility ('therapeutic cloning', see below) should be allowed. This is the most permissive policy to date. • Germany has a stricter policy, prohibiting its scientists from deriving human embryonic stem cell lines from embryos. However, embryonic stem cells can be imported but only by approval from a new commission. • Japan has decided to allow research on human embryos left-over from IVF. • Canada has a similar policy to that of Japan. In the case of Australia, existing National Health and Medical Research Council ethical guidelines dating from 1996 state that embryo research can only take place under 'exceptional circumstances'. A long-running Parliamentary Committee inquiry involving stem cell research reported1 in September 2001 (Australian House of Representatives Standing Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs). Recommendations included, as expected, a national ban on cloning children but the Committee also called for a new regulatory body and a three-year moratorium on therapeutic cloning (see below). The Committee split 6–4 in favour of allowing excess IVF human embryos to be used in research. Since Victoria, South Australia and Western Australia are the only States to have regulated embryo research, it has been agreed by the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) to set up uniform national regulations. The present uneven application of law across Australia has led to conflicting situations in different States. For example, the Sydney ...