Embryo research boost in Germany

New embryo research guidelines were issued last week by the main research funding agency in Germany, the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG). The guidelines would allow German researchers to use imported human embryonic stem cells. Currently, Germany law allows scientists to work on fetal stem cells but not those derived from embryos. The DFG has also recommended that the German Parliament pass new legislation that would allow researchers there to derive stem cell lines from leftover IVF embryos if imports cannot meet demand. Creating embryos specifically for research and research into therapeutic cloning would remain illegal.

But the Social Democrat Party, opposition politicians and church officials strongly oppose the new guidelines. In response, the German government's Research Ministry has asked the DFG to postpone funding for the one research proposal that has so far been submitted and called for a general moratorium on funding to allow time for discussion of the ethical and moral issues.

Also in Germany, Chancellor Gerhard Schršder has established a new national bioethics council that will report directly to him, and advise the government on issues in bioethics. Some of its concerns will be preimplantation diagnosis (PGD), stem cell research and embryo protection. Research minister Eldegard Buhlman says that the council should debate embryo stem cell research, as 'new courses that cross long-established ethical boundaries cannot be changed in a hurry'.

Meanwhile, in the US, anti-cloning Bills are reported to be proliferating in both houses of Congress following the announcement by Raelians in March of plans to clone a human baby. Scientific organisations are worried that attempts to ban reproductive cloning will also prevent research into therapeutic cloning.