Funding for ethical and legal aspects of stem cell research
Mats G. Hansson, Professor of Biomedical Ethics, has received a 2,100,000 SEK grant from the Swedish Research Council. The research will provide analysis of the ethical and legal aspects of using human embryonic stem cells to develop islets of insulin producing cells for patients with diabetes. The project will also develop guidance for clinical practice.
A system for encapsulating insulin producing cells in humans looks promising in safety tests, but stepping from research to commercial products for clinical use raises ethical and legal questions that need to be handled. A group of researchers, led by Mats G. Hansson (Link removed) , will look at a long list of issues: From the legal issues of procuring embryonic stem cells through ethical and philosophical questions concerning the moral differences between embryos and other tissues, to what type of code of practice needs to be in place in a research consortium working with this kind of research.
The project is run in collaboration between the Centre for Research Ethics & Bioethics (CRB), the Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology and the Department of Law at Uppsala University. Mats G. Hansson is proud to lead a group consisting of Olle Korsgren, Professor of transplantation immunology, Pär Segerdahl (Link removed) , Associate Professor of Philosophy, Anna-Sara Lind (Link removed) , Associate Professor of Public Law, Bengt Domeij, Professor of Private Law.
By Josepine Fernow