HFEA grants Roslin's first licence for human embryo research
09 June 2003
The Human Fertilisation & Embryology Authority (HFEA) has granted a licence to the Roslin Institute so that they can improve the technology to produce and maintain human embryonic stem cells in culture.
Stem cells created under this licence will be used for research purposes only, including the possible testing of the safety and effectiveness of new medicines and the study of congenital disease. A sample of any stem cell line derived from research at the Roslin Institute will be deposited in the UK stem cell bank.
Suzi Leather, HFEA Chair says:
"After careful consideration of all the scientific, ethical and medical aspects of the project, the HFEA Licence Committee agreed to grant an initial one year research licence to the Roslin Institute. It is important that any research involving human embryos is scrutinised and properly regulated."
With the informed consent of patients, the licence permits the Roslin Institute to carry out research on donated embryos created as a result of IVF treatment. It also permits researchers to create embryos by artificially stimulating donated human eggs, a process known as parthenogenesis.
A better understanding of how to encourage eggs to mature in vitro may help women undergoing IVF treatment such as those suffering from Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome.
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Notes to editors
Human embryonic stem cells are special cells that have the potential to turn into every type of cell in the human body. This means they could have many medical uses including the treatment of degenerative diseases such as Parkinson's disease and heart disease.
Parthenogenesis is the process by which eggs are artificially stimulated causing them to divide and behave in a similar way to standard embryos, but without being fertilised by sperm. These cells do not have the potential to develop into a child.
The HFEA is legally required to regulate the creation of any embryo outside the body as defined in the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990. This applies regardless of how the embryo is created, as clarified by the House of Lords on 13 March 2003.
The HFEA was set up in August 1991 as part of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990. The HFEA's principal tasks are to license and monitor clinics that carry out in vitro fertilisation (IVF), donor insemination (DI) and human embryo research. The HFEA also regulates the storage of gametes (eggs and sperm) and embryos.
Page last updated: 12 March 2009