DFG seeks to clarify stem cell rules

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日期: 2003-07-23 今日/总浏览: 1/5671 F+ e+ V4 {7 `. v$ U& ~% i
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Germanstemcellresearchersmayfindamorefavorableresearchenvironmentabroad,buttheyshouldbecarefuliftheyholdaprofessorship,accordingtoareportduenextmonth.
& M" W$ E: c8 @& {7 _Germanstemcellresearchersfaceaconfusinglegalsituation.Inanattempttoclarifymatters,theGermanResearchFoundation(DFG)commissionedanopinionfromlegalexpertsbasedatalawfirminBonnandattheMaxPlanckInstitute(MPI)forForeignandInternationalCriminalLawinFreiburg.TheDFGannouncedtheresultslastweek.# R( l, \, f) y0 x
StemcellregulationsinGermanyhavelongbeencriticizedforbeingtoostringent.TheproductionofnewhumanembryonicstemcelllinesisillegalinGermany.TheexperimentaluseofhumanembryonicstemcellsisrestrictedtocelllinesgeneratedbeforeJanuary1,2002,fromsurplusembryosresultingfrominfertilitytreatment.Researchinvolvingsuchexistingstemcelllinesrequirestheapprovalofanationalreviewcommittee.
- r# M5 a" V# [$ i5 JAlthoughthemoralitybehindthisregulationmaybecontradictory,themessagetoscientistsisclear:IfIwereyoungandwantedtoworkwith[humanembryonic]stemcells,IwouldaskmyselfwhetherGermanyistherightplacetobe,saidHerbertJäckle,whoisdirectoroftheMPIforBiophysicalChemistryinGöttingenandworkswithstemcellsderivedfromDrosophilaembryos.Theworldhasbecomesointernational,whydoesithavetobeGermany?
, J, v/ U) Q/ w. F+ k) oButhowfardoesthelongarmofGermanlawreach?DoGermanscommitacriminaloffenceiftheymoveabroadandderivehumanembryonicstemcellsinanothercountry?Oriftheysimplycollaboratewithcolleaguesabroadwhoseworkinvolvesthegenerationofhumanstemcelllines?OnemightevenaskwhetheritisacrimeforaGermanscientisttositontheadvisoryboardofaninternationalcompany,ortobeonthepeerreviewcommitteeofaforeignresearchcouncil,andtoadviseonthefundingofprojectsinvolvingthederivationofnewstemcelllines?+ M$ w# j: y5 B7 l  `
Accordingtothelegalexpertsconsultedforthisreport,theanswertoallthesequestionsisYes—ifthescientistisauniversityprofessor.AsHans-GeorgKochattheMPIinFreiburgexplained,researchinvolvingthederivationofnewstemcelllinesfromhumanembryosisregulatedbytheFederalEmbryoProtectionAct,whichisbasedontheconstitutionalmandatetoprotectallhumanlife.Inouropinion,theembryonicprotectionlawisalsoapplicableabroadiftheoffenderisaGermanpublicservantactingduringorinconnectionwithhisorherduties,KochtoldTheScientist.(AlluniversityprofessorsinGermanyarepublicservants.)
6 P- o3 j& Q( AThesituationisdifferentifscientistswishtoworkwithexistinghumanstemcelllinesbecausethistypeofresearchisregulatedbytheGermanStemCellAct.Accordingtothereport,regulationscoveringexistingstemcelllinesareonlyapplicabletoresearchconductedonGermansoil.Germanscientists,includingpublicservants,maythereforegetinvolvedinforeignprojectsormaythemselvesconductprojectsabroadthatuseexistinghumanstemcelllines,eveniftheywerederivedbeforethecutoffdateofJanuary1,2002(providedthatlocallawpermitsthistypeofresearch)., O3 b  Q/ A" M, D
ToJäckle,thisisallconfusing.Iamconvincedthatotherinterpretationsofthelawarepossible.Ican'timaginethatI,asapublicservant,amnotallowedtodosomethingthatmycoworkermaydoanytime.
! ?; B8 x2 y! [; t" x  @/ Q# ^Hebelievesinterpretingthecurrentlegalsituationpersewon'tbeveryhelpful.Thereshouldbeadecisiontodiscussthismatteragain.WehavetocometoaclearethicalandmoralstandpointinGermany,andwehavetoapplyitconsistently,hesaid.# u( c; U) \6 Q

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GermanResearchFoundation. l+ }/ \- B0 f) k
http://www.dfg.de/en/index.html" S4 v, W  x3 a
RedekerSellnerDahs&Widmaier+ e# x1 `6 m* V  ]" ]7 _$ g7 Y: _
http://www.redeker.de/
( S! i* Y* w5 _- L& [6 W' nMaxPlanckInstituteforForeignandInternationalCriminalLaw
- h5 d2 w# ~# o; K& {9 J' b9 S7 u4 mhttp://www.iuscrim.mpg.de/iuscrim_e.html
& p0 {9 c8 H2 L: FMaxPlanckInstituteforBiophysicalChemistry
( J( @! h( m* h/ e% ohttp://www.mpibpc.gwdg.de/index_en.html( H- Q* P$ X6 H: m1 n

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作者: Martina Habeck, K6 |) c5 G% O7 K9 R* @4 v
来源: The Scientist1 W+ I2 s2 m* ?) z5 m. c
发布者: 亦云