Ethics
Stem cell research touches sensitive ethical issues concerning all levels of society, with questions regarding science, religion and law. An intense debate is taking place in many countries concerning the future of stem cell research and therapy. In order to explain the role of the FunGenES consortium in the context of ethics, we have collected several questions and answers:
Does FunGenES perform research on human embryonic stem cells?
No. FunGenES' research activities are solely carried out with mouse ES cells.
Why does FunGenES solely work with mouse embryonic stem cells?
The scientific expertise and experience of worldwide research is much greater in the field of mouse ES cells than in the area of human ES cells. In addition, there are no ethical problems using mouse ES cells in comparison to human ES cells.
Does FunGenES' research contribute to improve human health care?
Yes. The data we obtain from mouse ES cells and the techniques we use can subsequently be transferred to human ES cells. Although the mouse genome is not completely comparable to the human genome, a great deal of genomic information can be transposed to human cells.
The major potential application of embryonic stem cell research and technology lies in cellular replacement therapies. Clinical applications include tissue- and cell transplantation, new therapeutic strategies against cancer, liver disease, diabetes, obesity, and cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases. FunGenES results will therefore contribute to the development of new therapeutic strategies for humans and hence improve health care.
Does FunGenES provide alternatives to the use of animals in drug development?
Yes. The mouse ES cells used in FunGenES research can be used as a screening model for the testing of the possible damaging potential of substances on embryos (embryo-toxicology) without the use of animals. Many different chemicals and pharmaceuticals have to be tested in animals for embryo-toxicity before use as pharmaceuticals in humans. FunGenES provides useful alternatives by using mouse ES cells.
Are there laws and regulations affecting FunGenES research?
A variety of European and national laws and regulations have to be considered by the individual partners involved in FunGenES. In carrying out their research, all FunGenES partners strictly comply with all relevant regulations.
Although the FunGenES partners do not work with human ES cells, the sensitive ethical questions concerning human ES cells are discussed within the consortium. The regulations concerning the use of human embryonic stem cells for research purposes are very different in the European countries. For example, in Germany only ES-cell lines, that have been established before the 1st of January 2002 are allowed to be used. In other countries, such as Great Britain, the date of the establishment of cell lines is not fixed by law.
