Research Library

The papers in this series examine the ethical, policy and scientific issues that arise in the controversial field of human embryo research.  The reports are part of the grant “Drawing the Line: Assessing and Analyzing the U.S. Rule on Embryo Research from Ethical, Political, and Scientific Perspectives,” which was funded by The Greenwall Foundation. Additional support for the project was provided by the Brocher Foundation and the Baker Institute’s State of Qatar Endowment for International Stem Cell Policy.

To access the full paper, download the PDF on the left-hand sidebar.

This report is part of a series examining the…

To access the full paper, download the PDF on the left-hand sidebar.

This report is part of a series examining the…

In a recent commentary, Baker Institute science and technology policy experts described two international court cases that aimed to define “research” — and that ultimately arrived at two different answers. “What makes this interesting is that the courts’ definition of ‘research’ was based on politics — what the court wanted the end result to be,” said Kirstin Matthews, the institute’s fellow in science and technology policy. To reach a decision prohibiting human embryonic stem cell (hESC) patents, the EU court ruled that “research” occurs in a continuum. To reach a decision supporting federal funding of stem cell research, the U.S. court ruled that “research” involves a specific project.

The NIH, which has an annual budget of over US$31 billion, is the world’s largest biomedical research agency and is a major strength for science in the U.S. Despite the political nature of stem cell research, this area of science has flourished across the country. In 2010, the NIH funded approximately US$1.3 billion in stem cell research. According to the ISI Web of Science, more than 4,000 U.S.-authored stem cell publications were produced in 2010 — approximately 40% of the world total. The average citation rate was 4.12 per article, with six articles amassing 100 citations in less than 18 months after release.

An overview of stem cell research and the policies, particularly in the state of Texas, that regulate these studies.

Kirstin Matthews, fellow in science and technology, answers questions regarding the biology, practical uses and ethical dilemmas surrounding stem cells.

A Civic Scientist Précis on Stephen Minger, Ph.D.

Over the past decade, the U.S. human embryonic stem cell (hESC) policy has become a hodgepodge of difficult-to-understand and easily misinterpreted legislation and regulations.

Summary of discussions from an October 2006 conference on stem cell research including input from policymakers, scientists and ethicists.