Peter Thompson, Chief Executive at the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) announced at the PET Annual Conference that the authority had made a recommendation to extend the 14-day rule on embryo research to 28 days.
Hannah Devlin wrote about this significant development for the Guardian
PET Director Sarah Norcross told the Guardian
'PET welcomes the HFEA's proposal to extend the 14-day limit on human embryo research to 28 days. The regulator has recognised that there are strong scientific and ethical arguments for culturing human embryos beyond the time currently permitted under UK law.
'Such an extension will not only help scientists to understand human biology and disease, but also maximise the usefulness of a very precious resource – embryos donated to research by fertility patients, following the completion of their treatment.
'Furthermore, the possibility of studying human embryos beyond 14 days will benefit research into embryos at earlier stages. The current limit dissuades researchers from pursuing projects that even approach 14 days, making it more challenging to secure permission and funding for such projects. The latitude to go beyond 14 days will improve opportunities for embryo research more broadly.
'The HFEA's proposal is consistent with the UK public having indicated on several occasions in recent years – in a YouGov poll for the BBC in 2017 , in an Ipsos survey for PET in 2022, and in a public dialogue initiated by the Human Developmental Biology Initiative in 2023 – that it is open to an extension of the 14-day rule.'
Read more about the recommendation to extend the 14-day rule on BioNews.
