[extropy-chat] embryo research status in Oz

[Damien Broderick]

[No multi-donor embryos (3 or more sources) permitted, no clones to be
implanted, etc]

http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2004/01/02/1072908911785.html

Embryo research go-ahead in weeks
By Tom Noble
Health Editor
January 3, 2004


The Federal Government will approve the first experiments on "excess" IVF
embryos within weeks following applications from universities, research
institutes and private companies.

And in an effort to counter concerns over the controversial research, the
Government is employing two inspectors to ensure that its new laws on
cloning and embryo use are not broken.

Prominent scientists believe as many as 15 different groups could be vying
for licences.

...
Melbourne IVF would grow embryos to about six days old, then extract the
inner cell mass - up to 40 cells from an embryo of about 160 cells. The
process destroys the embryo. The extracted embryonic stem cells would
multiply indefinitely and be used for experiments.

...
The nine-member licensing committee can decide the period of any licence
issued, impose conditions and revoke licences.

Dr Morris said the inspectors' work would not be limited to people holding a
licence. "They will be working, where necessary, with the state or federal
police if there's a suspicion people are undertaking human cloning, or
something similar."

Laws that allow experiments on "excess" IVF embryos - which can be used only
under strict conditions - were passed by Federal Parliament 12 months ago
after an emotional and sometimes bitter debate about the ethics of
experimenting and killing days-old human embryos.

Only embryos created before April 5, 2002, can be used and they must be
regarded as "spare" - in other words, they would have been destroyed if not
used for experiments. The parents of the embryos must give written
permission for their use.

Anyone who uses an excess embryo without a licence faces five years' jail,
plus fines of $165,000 for a company and $33,000 for an individual. A
licence holder that breaks the law loses its licence.

The laws ban human cloning, which carries a penalty of up to 15 years' jail
and fines of $495,000 for a company and $99,000 for an individual.