Embryoid research calls for reassessment of legal regulations

Margit Rosner,Markus Hengstschläger

doi:10.1186/s13287-021-02442-2

Abstract

It is known that in countries, in which basic research on human embryos is in fact prohibited by law, working with imported human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) can still be permitted. As long as hESCs are not capable of development into a complete human being, it might be the case that they do not fulfill all criteria of the local definition of an embryo. Recent research demonstrates that hESCs can be developed into entities, called embryoids, which increasingly could come closer to actual human embryos in future. By discussing the Austrian situation, we want to highlight that current embryoid research could affect the prevailing opinion on the legal status of work with hESCs and therefore calls for reassessment of the regulations in all countries with comparable definitions of the embryo.

Highlights

In each country of the world, laws regulating human embryo research are rooted in national politics, religion, and history
One can assume that the Austrian Reproductive Medicine Act was made under the influence of the sorrowful but still so important memory of the unethical human medical research conducted during the Second World War
Research using pluripotent human embryonic stem cells, which have been isolated outside the territorial scope of the Austrian legislation and are considered to harbor the potential to only develop into specific tissues, is permissible [2]

Summary

Introduction

In each country of the world, laws regulating human embryo research are rooted in national politics, religion, and history. Research using pluripotent human embryonic stem cells (hESCs), which have been isolated outside the territorial scope of the Austrian legislation and are considered to harbor the potential to only develop into specific tissues, is permissible [2]. Several different stem cell-based models of embryos recapitulating different aspects of early human development exist.

Results

Conclusion