Heritable human genome editing is ‘currently not permitted’, but it is no longer ‘prohibited’: so says the ISSCR

2021 ◽  
pp. medethics-2021-107720
Author(s):  
Françoise Baylis
Keyword(s):  
Stem Cell ◽  
Human Genome ◽  
Genome Editing ◽  
Policy Change ◽  
International Society ◽  
Stem Cell Research ◽  
Demarcation Line ◽  
Research Activities ◽  
Practical Effect ◽  
Definition Of

The Guidelines for Stem Cell Research and Clinical Translation, recently issued by the International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR), include a number of substantive revisions. Significant changes include: (1) the bifurcation of ‘Category 3 Prohibited research activities’ in the 2016 Guidelines into ‘Category 3A Research activities currently not permitted’ and ‘Category 3B Prohibited research activities’ in the 2021 guidelines and (2) the move of heritable human genome editing research out of the ‘prohibited’ category and into the ‘currently not permitted’ category. These changes are noteworthy because of the absence of a clear demarcation line between the two categories insofar as, by definition, that which is ‘prohibited’ is ‘currently not permitted’, and vice versa. Permanence is not part of the definition of ‘prohibition’. In principle, a prohibition can be rescinded at any time. This begs the question ‘Why make a policy change that has no apparent practical effect?’ One hypothesis is that the recategorisation of specific ‘prohibited’ research activities as ‘currently not permitted’ is meant to seed intuitions about which prohibited research activities should ‘soon’ be permitted subject to specialised scientific and ethics review and approval.

scholarly journals Global divisions of health; bioethical principles, practices and regulations on human genome editing and stem cell research in Latin America

Bionatura ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 895-896
Author(s):  
Abril Saldaña Tejeda
Keyword(s):  
Latin America ◽  
Stem Cell ◽  
Human Genome ◽  
Genome Editing ◽  
Stem Cell Research ◽  
Clinical Care ◽  
Human Enhancement ◽  
Genetic Technologies ◽  
Somatic Genome ◽  
Cell Genome

Recent genetic technologies have uncovered the urgent need for global governance of health that can guarantee an ethical consensus on human genome editing and stem cell research. Although the majority of gene-transfer trials have been located in the Americas and Europe, the regulation of human somatic cell genome editing is generally limited in Latin America and largely informed by ethical concerns about genetically modified plants and animals, biopiracy, biosecurity, and use of stem cells for clinical care. Few jurisdictions in the region (i.e., Chile, Panama, Ecuador, and Colombia) have explicitly addressed somatic genome editing. Jurisdictions often address concerns regarding the use of new biotechnologies (i.e., CRISPR-Cas9) for human “enhancement” purposes rather than the prevention or cure of serious medical conditions 1.

scholarly journals An evolution of stem cell research and therapy in Viet Nam

2018 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Phuc Van Pham ◽  
Ngoc Bich Vu ◽  
Oanh Thuy Huynh ◽  
Mai Thi-Hoang Truong ◽  
Truc Le-Buu Pham ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Stem Cells ◽  
Stem Cell ◽  
Stem Cell Research ◽  
Web Of Science ◽  
Scientific Information ◽  
Clinical Applications ◽  
Viet Nam ◽  
Disease Treatment ◽  
Research Activities ◽  
The World

Stem cell research and therapy are one of the most attractive studies in the biomedicine. Not only in the bench, nowadays stem cells but also become the bustling industry. In Vietnam, biomedical scientists started to study and apply stem cells since 1995. From that, Vietnamese scientists got some significant achievements in stem cell research and therapy, especially in stem cell therapy for disease treatment. This report aimed to provide an overview of stem cell research and therapy from 1995 to date. Stem cell research activities were collected and analyzed based on the publications, projects about stem cells in some databases including Web of Science, Google Scholar, Embase, and national scientific information. The results showed that stem cell research and therapy significantly increased from 2009 to date with more publications about stem cells and more clinical applications. With this growth rate, we hope that Vietnam can develop the stem cell industry and become one the stem cell center in the Asian and the world.

Research guidelines for embryoids

2021 ◽  
pp. medethics-2020-106493
Author(s):  
Monika Piotrowska
Keyword(s):  
Stem Cells ◽  
Stem Cell ◽  
Human Development ◽  
International Society ◽  
Stem Cell Research ◽  
Human Embryo ◽  
Human Embryos ◽  
Ethical Guidelines ◽  
Research Guidelines ◽  
Research Regulations

Human embryo models formed from stem cells—known as embryoids—allow scientists to study the elusive first stages of human development without having to experiment on actual human embryos. But clear ethical guidelines for research involving embryoids are still lacking. Previously, a handful of researchers put forward new recommendations for embryoids, which they hope will be included in the next set of International Society for Stem Cell Research guidelines. Although these recommendations are an improvement over the default approach, they are nonetheless unworkable, because they rely on a poorly conceived notion of an embryoid’s ‘potential’ to trigger stringent research regulations.

Reflections on Governance Models for the Clinical Translation of Stem Cells

2010 ◽  
Vol 38 (2) ◽  
pp. 251-256 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeremy Sugarman
Keyword(s):  
Stem Cells ◽  
Stem Cell ◽  
International Society ◽  
Stem Cell Research ◽  
Human Embryonic Stem Cell ◽  
Ad Hoc ◽  
Embryonic Stem ◽  
Therapeutic Approaches ◽  
Governance Models ◽  
Gathering Data

Acentral promise of human embryonic stem cell research is the potential to develop viable therapeutic approaches to a range of devastating diseases and conditions. Despite excitement over such advances, there are scientific and medical reasons to be cautious as stem cells and their products are introduced into patients. In response to such concerns, the International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR) as well as ad hoc groups and individuals have offered approaches to governance of this research. While there are similarities among these governance models and they are in principle easily endorsable, in this paper I raise a set of concerns related to their implementation, suggesting areas where gathering data may facilitate more appropriate oversight. Next, I suggest areas that seem to have been neglected as these governance models have been developed so that they may be on the agendas of those seeking to revise these models in the future. Finally, I describe how some of the concerns that have arisen in considering the appropriate governance of stem cell research may be useful in science and translational research more broadly.

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