Skip to Content

Mapping a Stem Cell Policy

European countries are imposing a patchwork of tough restrictions that are impeding research.
October 1, 2003

Embryonic stem cells, with their unique power to differentiate into every type of cell in the human body, have been hailed as the source of possible cures for everything from heart disease to Parkinson’s but reviled by antiabortion activists, who oppose harvesting the cells from surplus frozen embryos. When the U.S. government decided in 2001 to deny funding for research that uses embryonic cells derived after August 9, 2001, observers predicted a brain drain of U.S. researchers to Europe.

But European countries are adopting their own restrictions, in some cases tougher than those in the U.S. The resulting patchwork-combined with low biotechnology funding-has hamstrung European embryonic-stem-cell research, says Martyn Postle, director of Cambridge Healthcare and Biotech, a consultancy in Cambridge, England. Worse, he adds, is legislation in the European Parliament-the lawmaking body of the European Union (which includes most European countries; nonmembers include Norway, Switzerland, and Iceland) that could outlaw all embryonic-stem-cell research in the EU. Such a ban would have to be enforced separately in each country. In short, the European research climate is not universally favorable.

Keep Reading

Most Popular

Geoffrey Hinton tells us why he’s now scared of the tech he helped build

“I have suddenly switched my views on whether these things are going to be more intelligent than us.”

ChatGPT is going to change education, not destroy it

The narrative around cheating students doesn’t tell the whole story. Meet the teachers who think generative AI could actually make learning better.

Meet the people who use Notion to plan their whole lives

The workplace tool’s appeal extends far beyond organizing work projects. Many users find it’s just as useful for managing their free time.

Learning to code isn’t enough

Historically, learn-to-code efforts have provided opportunities for the few, but new efforts are aiming to be inclusive.

Stay connected

Illustration by Rose Wong

Get the latest updates from
MIT Technology Review

Discover special offers, top stories, upcoming events, and more.

Thank you for submitting your email!

Explore more newsletters

It looks like something went wrong.

We’re having trouble saving your preferences. Try refreshing this page and updating them one more time. If you continue to get this message, reach out to us at customer-service@technologyreview.com with a list of newsletters you’d like to receive.