Ethicist Urges to Extend 14-day Human Embryo Research Limit

Leading ethicist urges to extend the legal limit on human embryo research from 14 to 28 days. She explains that this is possible as technology and knowledge have moved on during the 40 years since it was introduced.

Sophia McCully states that this step will play a key role in discovering potential new treatments to decrease the risks of recurrent miscarriage and developmental abnormalities.

The central nervous system begins to develop only after 14 days. But the existing rule limits research on intact human embryos to the first 14 days. This rule applies in many jurisdictions and is upheld even in countries without relevant laws or guidelines.

The author explains that for the past 40 years, the 14-day rule has governed and enabled embryo research and therapeutic innovation globally. It has defined a clear boundary in which valuable research has been able to proceed against some considerable opposition. But it is now safe and timely to make a policy change and extend the rule without fear of any "moral and regulatory slippery slope."

She argues that although other studies show important changes in the embryo occurring before 14 days are likely to affect development, their real significance will be hard to understand without the ability to go further.

She questions, "How are we to learn about our beginnings if we cannot study them?" She states that scientists can now culture human embryos beyond 14 days, and many compelling reasons support the extension of this rule to 28 days.

The benefits of this extension could result in a greater understanding of congenital disability development, the potential to improve in vitro fertilization (IVF) and reduce rates of miscarriage, and improved safety testing of new techniques, such as mitochondrial replacement therapy (MRT), she added.

She argues that it is legal to abort an embryo or fetus �older' than 14 days and research its tissues with consent. Yet, it is illegal to experiment on an embryo beyond 14 days that was never intended for implantation.

She says that tests that pick up three of the most severe chromosomal disorders have increased selective abortion. She suggests that by uncovering why an embryo might have abnormalities through experiments on intact embryos maintained beyond 14 days and then using new technologies to avoid or correct the problem, the frequency of such abortions and, therefore, embryo and fetal wastage might be reduced.

"The 14-day rule has become limiting, and just because something has once worked does not mean it should stay the same or not strive to improve. As is clear to see, there is an assortment of reasons why embryo research beyond 14 days can help us realize the metamorphic potential of healthcare," the author points out.

She concludes by saying "Embryo research is a crucial undertaking and will help us to make many transformational discoveries, thus extending this very arbitrary limit is an endeavor that we must achieve."

‘Increasing the limit will play a key role in discovering potential new treatments to decrease the risks of recurrent miscarriage and developmental abnormalities.’

Source: Medindia