gresham lecture i reproductive technologies and the birth of regulation
TRANSCRIPT
The First IVF Baby
• Born in England 1978• Sparked off global
debate• Became a nursery
nurse• Has her own child
Human Fertilistion & Embryology Authority UK
• Established by 1990 Act
• Licences and monitors clinics and laboratories, IVF and embryo research
• 21 members appointed after advertisement
Benefits of regulation
• Protection of the embryo
• Welfare of the child
• Record of treatments and donors
• Control of market forces
• Answerable and representative
• Looking ahead
The Realities of Regulation
• The constraints of the legal framework
• Resources need to enforce and defend in court
• The power of the media and images
• The pressure from politicians
Preimplantation genetic diagnosis
• Unite sperm and egg in the laboratory
• Fertilised egg grows to 8 cell size
• Remove 1 cell and test for disease
• Test also for compatibility (HLA)
USA
• Anti-regulation and federal control
• No federal funds for new stem cell lines
• Private clinics uncontrolled
• Council on Bioethics
• Democrat-Republican differences
California
• Proposition 71, 2004, state funding for stem cell research
• California Institute for Regenerative Medicine
• Independent Citizens’ Oversight Committee
Categories of Regulation
• I Prohibition of all human embryo research
• II Use of stem cell lines already in existence
• III Use of embryos surplus to IVF for stem cell research
• IV Allow creation of embryos for stem cell research
Procedural Safeguards
• Health monitoring and risk warnings• Integrity of statistics• Secure database• Information for patients• Limits on the number of embryos used• Length of storage• Disposition of embryos on divorce• Regulation, licences and sanctions
A Legislative Minimum
• Prohibitions on cloning, experiments in the womb, genetic manipulation
• Inspection of clinics and laboratories
• 14-day rule for keeping embryos
• Commerce in gametes
• Control patenting
What are Stem Cells?
• Derived from early human embryos of a few days’ growth
• Adult stem cells derived from bone marrow, skin, umbilical cord, blood
• They are the origin of all our cells
• Will help us to understand disease
• Might make cells and tissue for transplantation and renewal