Ongoing dynamics in the regulatory landscape of human embryonic stem cell research

The international situation regarding the specific nature of regulation on human embryonic stem cell research is still quite complex due to pluralistic historical, cultural and ethical opinions that dominate in respective countries. By establishing the Human European Stem Cell Registry (hESCreg, www.hescreg.eu) in 2007, the EU initiated the first steps towards comparison and science-driven harmonization of hESC legislation. The hESCreg consortium currently includes representatives from 15 countries (including European and non-European countries), who act as National Contacts for hESCreg and regularly update the registry with information on stem cells as well as legislative and ethical discussions in the field of stem cell research. Several of these countries have experienced recent legislative changes; these were implemented in China, Finland, the Netherlands, Norway, the United Kingdom, and the USA. Others expect regulatory changes in the near future, such as in Australia, India, and Turkey. Whilst many countries have introduced legislation to liberalize embryonic stem cell research, others hold to stricter regulations on embryo-derived stem cells (e.g. Turkey, Germany, Hungary, and Italy). In this article we summarize and complete the information on the current status of international hESC regulation provided in our recent report.