14-day limit for research on human embryo changed: The needs public debate

Public engagement should have come before such an an important rule was changed.

For 40 years, research into early human development has been guided by the principle that after 14 days, an embryo should not be used for research and must be destroyed. This rule has been part of the law of more than 12 countries. But new guidelines released by the International Society for Stem Cell Research have removed this rule. This makes it possible to conduct research on human embryos that are at more advanced stages of development.

Now, countries must revise their laws, policies and guidelines to reflect this change. But first, public debate is