Human embryonic stem cell research: an ethical controversy in the US and Germany
Waite, L.; Nindl, G.
Biomedical Sciences Instrumentation 39: 567-572
2003
ISSN/ISBN: 0067-8856 PMID: 12724953 Document Number: 555721
Stem cells refer to a broad class of cells with potential for prolonged self-renewal and the potential to differentiate. Human embryonic stem (ES) cells are derived from a fertilized human egg, before it has been implanted into a womb. Recently published research has used human embryos, produced by in-vitro fertilization for clinical purposes, to develop lines of pluripotent human ES cells. This review discusses the legal status and ethical implications of ES cell research with special attention paid to the situation in the USA and Germany.