Germany’s advisory committee on medical ethics has recommended easing restrictions on research with human embryonic stem cells. Current law is more restrictive than the US because researchers cannot work with lines created after 2001 no matter who funds the research. Those that violate the law can face jail and fines. Germans are particularly sensitive to human research ethics because of the egregious experiments during the Nazi era, and the federal funding body initially recommended a cautious approach to allowing the research. It reversed its stance last November. Horst Dreier, a member of the National Ethics Council and head of the group that drafted the proposal, said that several members of parliament plan to take up the matter this fall. Federal research minister Annette Shavan is likely to oppose softening the law, but Dreier thinks she might agree to resetting the ban to allow human embryonic stem cell lines created up until January 1, 2007.

Germany’s advisory committee on medical ethics has recommended easing restrictions on research with human embryonic stem cells. Current law is more restrictive than the US because researchers cannot work with lines created after 2001 no matter who funds the research. Those that violate the law can face jail and fines. Germans are particularly sensitive to human research ethics because of the egregious experiments during the Nazi era, and the federal funding body initially recommended a cautious approach to allowing the research. It reversed its stance last November. Horst Dreier, a member of the National Ethics Council and head of the group that drafted the proposal, said that several members of parliament plan to take up the matter this fall. Federal research minister Annette Shavan is likely to oppose softening the law, but Dreier thinks she might agree to resetting the ban to allow human embryonic stem cell lines created up until January 1, 2007.