Elena Salgado, the Spanish health minister, has said that Spain will allow human embryonic stem cell (ES cell) research from the end of next month. The Spanish government passed new legislation on assisted reproduction and embryo research in October 2003.
Speaking at a medical conference in Granada, she said that the government was waiting for approval of its proposals on 'informed consent' from a consultative body. The proposals state the procedure that must be followed in order to ensure that patients understand what they are agreeing to when they participate in clinical tests.
It is proposed that Spain will initially have two ES cell research centres. One will be based in Catalonia and will specialise in research of regenerative medicine. The other, a stem cell bank similar to those already established in the UK and in Sweden, will be based in Granada. The stem cell bank will 'manage and store' human embryonic stem (ES) cell lines derived from donated embryos left over from fertility treatments. Problems relating to a conflict between national and regional legislation as regards the stem cell bank have been resolved since the Socialist party came to power in Spain.
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Spain to authorise stem cell research
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