Survey of Japanese researchers and the public regarding the culture of human embryos invitro beyond 14days.

Abstract

The International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR) has eliminated its prohibition on research involving the culturing of human embryos beyond 14days within the updated 2021 guidelines. We conducted a survey of Japanese researchers working in stem cell- or embryo-related research (n= 535) and the public (n= 3,000) about their attitudes toward the 14-day rule. Among the researchers, 46.2% agreed that embryos could be cultured beyond 14days, a result that was slightly lower among the public (37.9%). Among those that disagreed with embryo culturing beyond 14days, 9.5% of researchers and 5.1% of the public agreed with culturing embryos within 14days. Among the public, higher comprehension levels correlated with both agreement and disagreement with the culture of embryos beyond 14days compared with "cannot judge." Further research and pubic discourse are necessary in order to better understand the factors informing participant decisions regarding the 14-day rule.