PET is working with the University of Cambridge to develop a governance framework for research using stem-cell-based embryo models (SCBEMs).
The project, named 'Governance of Stem Cell-Based Embryo Models' (G-SCBEM), will be led by Cambridge Reproduction in partnership with PET. It will involve scientists, legal scholars and bioethics experts. Deputy director of PET, Sandy Starr, is part of the project's oversight group.
'SCBEMs open up avenues of research that are vitally important for people affected by infertility or genetic conditions. Use of SCBEMs can advance our understanding of human development, disease and reproduction, improving established reproductive technologies while opening up new possibilities. For this research to thrive, it needs to be conducted responsibly and governed in a clear and transparent way, which is where the G-SCBEM project comes in,' said Starr.
They plan to issue the first guidance this autumn.
Starr was also quoted in a piece about the project in the Times.
