Stem cell research is being pursued in the hope of achieving major medical breakthroughs.
Drawing on expert scientists, doctors, bioethicists, and others, the National Academies have examined the potential of stem cell technologies
and provided a forum for discussing the ethical implications of stem cell research.
Explore this Web site for information on stem cell basics, the National Academies'
Guidelines for Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research, current activities,
related activities, and related reports.
Guidelines for Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research
To enhance the integrity of human embryonic stem cell research by encouraging responsible practices in the conduct of that research,
the National Academies has issued its
Guidelines for Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research.
First released in
2005, the Guidelines were amended
in
2007 and
2008; the
Human Embryonic Stem
Cell Research Advisory Committee will periodically assess and update these Guidelines.
Stem Cell Basics
What is a stem cell? What are the ethical concerns involved in stem cell research?
Get the basics on stem cells by exploring
Understanding Stem Cells, an educational resource from the National Academies.
Related Activities
For a list of other activities related to stem cell research at the National Academies,
please see the list of
related activities.
Related Reports from the National Academies
2008 Amendments to the National Academies' Guidelines for Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research (2008)
This report offers amended guidelines for research involving human embryonic stem cells. It is the second set of amendments to be issued to clarify and update the National Academies' Guidelines for Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research, which have served as the basis for oversight of this research in the United States since 2005. Its authoring committee was convened by the National Research Council to monitor scientific advances and evaluate the need for revisions to the Guidelines on an ongoing basis, with support from The Ellison Medical Foundation, The Greenwall Foundation, and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. The amendments offered in this report include guidance in response to recent scientific advances enabling the derivation of human stem cells from nonembryonic tissues, including cells known as "induced pluripotent stem cells," and clarification on the types of expenses that can be reimbursed to women donating eggs for stem cell research.
2007 Amendments to the National Academies' Guidelines for Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research (2007)
In 2005, the National Academies released the report Guidelines for Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research, which offered a common set of ethical standards for a field that, due to the absence of comprehensive federal funding, was lacking national standards for research. In order to keep the Guidelines up to date, given the rapid pace of scientific developments in the field of stem cell research, the Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research Advisory Committee was established in 2006 with support from The Ellison Medical Foundation, The Greenwall Foundation, and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. This letter report is the committee's first set of amendments to the Guidelines and clarifies earlier recommendations and conclusions, including the criteria for determining which stem cell lines it is acceptable to use. Future deliberations of the committee will address items for which additional information gathering and more extensive debate and discussion will be necessary.
Guidelines for Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research (2005)
Since 1998, the volume of research being conducted using human embryonic stem (hES) cells has expanded primarily using private funds because of restrictions on the use of federal funds for such research. Given limited federal involvement, privately funded hES cell research has thus far been carried out under a patchwork of existing regulations, many of which were not designed with this research specifically in mind. In addition, hES cell research touches on many ethical, legal, scientific, and policy issues that are of concern to the public. This report provides guidelines for the conduct of hES cell research to address both ethical and scientific concerns. The guidelines are intended to enhance the integrity of privately funded hES cell research by encouraging responsible practices in the conduct of that research.
Stem Cells and the Future of Regenerative Medicine (2002)
Recent scientific breakthroughs, celebrity patient advocates, and conflicting religious beliefs have come together to bring the state of stem cell research specifically embryonic stem cell research into the political crosshairs. President Bush s watershed policy statement allows federal funding for embryonic stem cell research but only on a limited number of stem cell lines. Millions of Americans could be affected by the continuing political debate among policymakers and the public.
Stem Cells and the Future of Regenerative Medicine provides a deeper exploration of...
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Assessing the Medical Risks of Human Oocyte Donation for Stem Cell Research: Workshop Report (2007)
Stem cell research has the potential to revolutionize the treatment of many health problems including chronic heart disease, Type I diabetes, Parkinson's disease, and spinal chord injuries. This research, however, would require a steady supply of stem cells, particularly human embryonic stem cells, which are created from eggs—or oocytes—harvested from the ovaries of female donors. The egg donation process is not without its risks to the donors. At the request of the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine, the National Academies held a workshop in September 2006 to discuss what is known about these risks, what needs to be known, and what can be done to minimize them. This workshop summary includes discussions of the comparative risks of donating eggs for research versus donating eggs for reproductive purposes, and the likelihood of experiencing medical problems, psychological harm, or complications resulting from the surgical extraction of eggs.
Scientific and Medical Aspects of Human Reproductive Cloning (2002)
Human reproductive cloning is an assisted reproductive technology that would be carried out with the goal of creating a newborn genetically identical to another human being. It is currently the subject of much debate around the world, involving a variety of ethical, religious, societal, scientific, and medical issues. Scientific and Medical Aspects of Human Reproductive Cloning considers the scientific and medical sides of this issue, plus ethical issues that pertain to human-subjects research. Based on experience with reproductive cloning in animals, the report concludes that human reproductive cloning would be dangerous for the woman, fetus, and newborn, and is likely to fail. The study panel did not address the issue of whether human reproductive cloning, even if it were found to be medically safe, would be or would not be acceptable to individuals or society.
Cord Blood: Establishing a National Hematopoietic Stem Cell Bank Program (2005)
With the potential for self-renewal and differentiation, the possibilities for stem cells are enormous. One specific type of stem cell, the hematopoietic progenitor cell (HPC), which is derived from umbilical cord blood (as well as adult bone marrow and mobilized peripheral blood), holds particular promise. To make the most of these HPCs, the Institute of Medicine was asked to consider the optimal structure for a national cord blood program and to address pertinent issues related to maximizing the potential of stem cell technology. Cord Blood: Establishing a National Hematopoietic Stem Cell Bank Program examines...
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