Australian scientists will be able to use embryos left over from fertility treatment to derive new embryonic stem (ES) cell lines, following Prime Minister John Howard's decision not to extend a moratorium on such research. The three year ban, put in place to allow more time to debate the ethics...
British fertility doctors say that a forthcoming law ending anonymity for egg and sperm donors will worsen the current donor shortage in the UK, and will also lead to an increase in patients seeking treatment abroad. The British Fertility Society (BFS) says it 'welcomes steps towards openness in fertility treatment...
The US House of Representatives leadership has agreed to allow a floor vote on a bill that would expand federal funding for human embryonic stem (ES) research. The bill would amend the Public Health Service Act, making human ES cells eligible for use in research conducted or supported by government...
The California Supreme Court has thrown out two lawsuits that sought to get rid of the state's $3 billion stem cell research funding initiative. The high court refused to hear the cases, but said that its ruling won't prevent the lawsuits from being filed again, in a trial court. Both...
The UK House of Commons Science and Technology Committee (STC) is deeply divided over its inquiry into Human Reproductive Technologies and the Law. Only half of the ten committee members put their names to the summary report, published today alongside a Special Report detailing the committee's disagreements. The dissenting MPs...
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Comment
Science and Technology report opens debate on assisted reproduction laws
by Ian Gibson MP
When we announced that we were going to undertake a review of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990, a lot of people said we were mad. They were absolutely right, of course, but someone had to do it. It was clear to us that the Act and the Human...