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The Evolution of Policy Issues in Stem Cell Research: An International Survey

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Abstract

Stem cell research remains a tremendously promising yet controversial field of study. It continues to attract considerable public interest and generate discussion and debate. However, while the high profile of this field has endured, the tone and nature of the discourse that drives this profile appears to be changing. In order to get a better sense of how these potential shifts are perceived by individuals directly embedded in the field, we conducted an international internet survey of members of the stem cell research community. Our participants included individuals publishing on both scientific and ethical, legal and social issues topics. We explored the degree to which participants perceived that key policy issues were becoming more or less contentious over time. We queried views regarding the effect of regulatory frameworks on emerging stem cell research technologies and the extent to which participants experience pressure related to clinical translation. We also explored participants’ relationships with industry, experience with patents and perceptions regarding the emphasis placed on the potential economic benefits of stem cell research. Our results suggest that while traditional debates such as those surrounding the moral status of the embryo remain, other issues more closely associated with clinical translation and commercialization are perceived as becoming increasingly contentious. This survey provides useful insight into the perspectives of a sample of active researchers working in countries around the world as well as an opportunity to reflect on the likely direction of future stem cell policy debates.

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Notes

  1. The Web of Science is a leading international citation database with multidisciplinary coverage of over 10,000 high-impact journals in the sciences, social sciences, arts and humanities.

  2. Participants who indicated that they conducted both scientific and ELSI research are classified as scientists where comparisons between scientists and ELSI researchers are included.

  3. CIRM’s mission is to “support and advance stem cell research and regenerative medicine under the highest ethical and medical standards for the discovery and development of cures, therapies, diagnostics and research technologies to relieve human suffering from chronic disease and injury” (CIRM).

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported in part by Canada’s Stem Cell Network and by the Cancer Stem Cell Consortium, with funding from the Government of Canada through Genome Canada and the Ontario Genomics Institute (OGI-047), and through the Canadian Institute of Health Research (CSC-105367). The authors gratefully acknowledge the support of their funders, institutions and project collaborators.

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The authors declare no potential conflicts of interest.

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Correspondence to Timothy Caulfield.

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Caulfield, T., Rachul, C. & Zarzeczny, A. The Evolution of Policy Issues in Stem Cell Research: An International Survey. Stem Cell Rev and Rep 8, 1037–1042 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12015-012-9404-5

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