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Posted: Sunday 3 July, 2016 at 8:57 AM

Stem Cell Research - The Religion and Political Debate (in Summary)

By: Adam Anderson, OPEN Interactive Inc.

    BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – ACCORDING to Stratistics MRC, the Regenerative Medicine Market is estimated at $30.07 billion in 2016 and is projected to reach $121.3 billion by 2022 growing at a CAGR of 26.0% from 2016 to 2022. Growing research applications, growing demand in tissue engineering, biomaterials and stem cell therapy systems are some of the factors driving the market growth.

     

    Embryonic stem cell research, which uses special cells found in three to five-day-old human embryos to seek cures for a host of chronic diseases, had in years past, sparked major moral and political debate worldwide. In the 10 years since scientists announced they had harvested potentially life-saving cells from surplus embryos donated by fertility clinics, the ethical dilemma presented by the studies has captured the attention of activists on both sides of the issue, and has risen to the top moral and ethics debates worldwide.

     

    For patients and their families, embryonic stem cell research offers the hope of cures for chronic and debilitating conditions, such as juvenile diabetes, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, spinal cord injuries and blindness.

     

    Some religious leaders have become public activists against such research, believing that stem cell research raises the same moral issues as abortion.  Proponents point out that there is no viable substitute at this time for research other than using embryos.  

     

    Many religious groups are vehemently opposed to embryonic stem cell research. Some religious groups do not take a position on the issue at all, and some, including many Jewish and more-liberal Christian groups, support embryonic stem cell research.

     

    As the pace of the cutting-edge research quickens and the prospect for cures moves closer to reality, scientists are likely to find methods to harvest stem cells without destroying embryos. 

     

    Stem Cell Research Around the World

     

    These countries, along with countries from other regions of the world, have greatly expanded the scope of stem cell research, creating an array of scientific advances and medical applications. Below is a rundown on the laws and policies on stem cell research in various countries, as well as their significant research efforts.

     

    Africa

     

    In 2004, South Africa became the first African nation to create a stem cell bank. The previous year, the South African government had enacted legislation maintaining a ban on reproductive cloning but authorizing the therapeutic cloning of embryos. In 2002, when South Africa's Mark Shuttleworth became the first African to visit the international space station, he conducted experiments designed by South African researchers to study the development of stem cells in zero-gravity conditions.

     

    Asia

     

    China prohibits human reproductive cloning but allows the creation of human embryos for research and therapeutic purposes. The government's most recent regulations on stem cell research came in response to international criticism that Chinese regulators were lax in their supervision and enforcement of ethical guidelines for stem cell research. Nonetheless, China continues to permit researchers to conduct clinical trials in which terminally or chronically ill patients receive stem cell therapy.

     

    India

     

    India has established a booming industry in stem cell banking, which involves storing a patient's stem cells with the aim of possibly using them for future medical treatments. The Indian government's biomedical oversight body, the Council for Medical Research, banned reproductive cloning but voted to permit therapeutic cloning. The council also issued guidelines for clinical trials involving stem cells.

     

    Japan

     

    Japan's Council for Science and Technology Policy voted to allow scientists to conduct stem cell research for therapeutic purposes. Japanese scientists, in collaboration with American researchers, discovered that human skin cells could be reprogrammed to behave like embryonic stem cells. Though still in the early experimental phase, some believe that this procedure could help diffuse the debate over the destruction of embryos by providing a viable alternative to using embryonic stem cell lines.

     

    Singapore

     

    Singapore has been dubbed "Asia's stem cell center," with over 110 stem cell research groups in the country. As part of a broader effort to become an important player in biomedical research, Singapore has actively recruited top scientists from around the globe by offering a host of incentives, including the authorization to use, for therapeutic purposes, embryos that are no more than two weeks old.

     

    South Korea

     

    South Korea's reputation as a leader in stem cell research suffered a significant blow in 2006 when it was discovered that the country's leading biomedical researcher, Dr. Hwang Woo-suk, falsely claimed that he was the first scientist to clone human embryonic stem cells for the purpose of clinical trials. Despite the scandal, the South Korean government continues to promote therapeutic cloning for stem cell research, although reproductive cloning is forbidden.

     

    Europe

     

    Belgium bans reproductive cloning but allows therapeutic cloning of embryos. Belgium is widely recognized by the international scientific community as an enthusiast of stem cell research, and Belgian scientists successfully extracted stem cell lines from cloned embryos in 2005.

     

    France

     

    France prohibits reproductive cloning and the creation of embryos for research purposes. However, in an effort to promote stem cell research, the government enacted legislation opening a five-year window for scientists to conduct stem cell research on imported surplus embryos from in vitro fertilization treatments. Later, national guidelines were expanded to allow scientists to produce their own stem cell lines from surplus embryos.

     

    Germany

     

    Germany has one of the most restrictive policies for human embryonic stem cell research, due in part to the history of unethical medical experiments conducted by the Nazi regime during World War II. For instance, the creation of embryonic stem cells is prohibited. 

     

    Italy

     

    Italy strictly limits embryonic stem cell research. In 2004, the government enacted a law forbidding all sperm or egg donations and the freezing of embryos. The policy does not, however, explicitly forbid researchers from using existing stem cell lines that have been imported.

     

    Spain

     

    In late 2006, Spain became the fourth country in Europe -- after Britain, Sweden and Belgium -- to legalize therapeutic cloning. In addition to creating Europe's third stem cell bank, Spain also has established a dozen research centers specifically for the study of stem cells and regenerative medicine.

     

    Sweden

     

    Sweden forbids reproductive cloning, but allows therapeutic cloning. Sweden has a well-established biomedical industry that has been further buoyed by public and political support for stem cell research. In 2002, the Swedish government authorized the creation of Europe's second stem cell bank.

     

    United Kingdom

     

    The United Kingdom has long been a major player in bioscience and has been heralded as Europe's leader in stem cell research. In 2004, Britain became the third country in the world to allow scientists to clone human embryonic stem cells explicitly for research purposes through somatic nuclear transfer.

     

    Middle East

     

    In 1999, Israel passed legislation banning reproductive, but not therapeutic, cloning. Israeli scientists have made significant breakthroughs in stem cell research, including the first extraction of stem cells from blood in the 1960s. Ongoing research in Israel focuses on regenerative medicine and the practical uses of stem cells as treatment for diseases such as diabetes, Parkinson's disease and Lou Gehrig's disease.

     

    Saudi Arabia

     

    Saudi Arabia has been active in stem cell research since 2002, when the government decided to make biotechnology "the new oil of Saudi Arabia." A 2003 fatwa, or legal decree, issued by Saudi religious officials sanctions the use of embryos for therapeutic and research purposes.

     

    North America

     

    In 2006, Canada enacted legislation permitting research on discarded embryos from in vitro fertilization procedures. The Canadian government, however, prohibits the creation of human embryos for research.

     

    Mexico

     

    Mexico has a thriving stem cell industry.  Indeed, some Mexican doctors are already using stem cells to treat chronically ill foreigners, including Americans, who suffer from conditions such as cerebral palsy, autism and paralysis. These unregulated therapies have been criticized by some in the international medical community.

     

    South America

     

    In March 2005, Brazil passed legislation to permit stem cell research using excess in vitro fertilized embryos that have been frozen for at least three years. That same year, however, a petition backed by Brazil's Catholic Church challenged the law, arguing that embryonic stem cell research violates the right to life.

     

     
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