In response to an opinion piece published in Cell which provided an ethical framework for human embryology with embryo models.
‘Perspective: An ethical framework for human embryology with embryo models’ by Nicolas C. Rivron et al. was published in Cell at 16:00 UK time on Thursday 17 August 2023.
DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2023.07.028
Sarah Norcross, Director of PET, said:
This is a thought-provoking contribution to ongoing discussions about stem-cell-based embryo models – in particular, thinking through how these models should be categorised, and how their use in research should be governed.
The latest Guidelines from the International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR) already set out very useful concepts and distinctions, in relation to this field of research. But with the science advancing rapidly, and human embryo models becoming ever more sophisticated, further consideration is warranted.
Answering the question “What is an embryo?” can be a surprisingly complex and subtle business. The answer might depend on whether you’re a scientist, a doctor or a lawyer, and also on what country you’re in.
The authors of this paper are sensitive to these various aspects, and they have some interesting ideas about how the definition of an embryo could be refined. Not everyone will agree with the authors’ suggestions, but many will agree that we need more of this sort of thinking, ranging across different fields of expertise.
The project Governance of Stem-Cell-Based Embryo Models (G-SCBEM) is currently developing a recommended governance framework for UK research involving embryo models. Papers such as this one, and the Guidelines from the ISSCR, all add to the rich body of material that G-SCBEM is taking into consideration.