Abstract
During the last decade, stem cell-based therapies have become reality. This chapter aims to provide a history of stem cell research and ethical dilemmas that have been contested over the years. We examine U.S. policies towards stem cell—primarily embryonic stem cell research—in detail. In addition, we present the global landscape on patent eligibility of stem cells.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Skloot R. The immortal life of Henrietta lacks. New York: Crown; 2010.
Callaway E. HeLa publication brews bioethical storm. Nature. 2013. doi:10.1038/nature.2013.12689.
Callaway E. Most popular human cell in science gets sequenced. Nature. 2013. doi:10.1038/nature.2013.12609.
Wang K, Zeng J, Luo L, Yang J, Chen J, Li B, Shen K. Identification of a cancer stem cell-like side population in the HeLa human cervical carcinoma cell line. Oncol Lett. 2013;6(6):1673–80.
National Institutes of Health. NIH, Lacks family reach understanding to share genomic data of HeLa cells. ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 7 August 2013. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/08/130807134010.htm>
Dorney M. Moore v. the Regents of the University of California: balancing the need for biotechnology innovation against the right of informed consent. Berekley Technol Law J. 1990. doi:10.15779/Z385957.
Davey S, Davey N, Gu Q, Xu N, Vatsa R, Devalraja S, Harris P, Gannavaram S, Dave R, Chakrabarty A. Interfacing of science, medicine and law: the stem cell patent controversy in the United States and the European Union. Front Cell Dev Biol. 2015;3:71.
Martin GR. Isolation of a pluripotent cell line from early mouse embryos cultured in medium conditioned by teratocarcinoma stem cells. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1981;78(12):7634–8.
Thomson J, Itskovitz-Eldor J, Shapiro S, Waknitz M, Swiergiel J, Marshall V, Jones J. Embryonic stem cell lines derived from human blastocysts. Science. 1998;282(5391):1145.
Gearhart J. New human embryonic stem-cell lines—more is better. N Engl J Med. 2004;350(13):1275–6.
Kimbrel EA, Lanza R. Current status of pluripotent stem cells: moving the first therapies to the clinic. Nat Rev Drug Discov. 2015;14(10):681–92. doi:10.1038/nrd4738. http://www.nature.com/nrd/journal/v14/n10/fig_tab/nrd4738_T1.html.
Takahashi K, Yamanaka S. Induction of pluripotent stem cells from mouse embryonic and adult fibroblast cultures by defined factors. Cell. 2006;126(4):663–76. doi:10.1016/j.cell.2006.07.024.
Cyranoksi D. Japanese women is first recipient of next-generation stem cells. Nature News. 2014.
Siegel A. Ethics of stem cell research. In: Zalta EN, editor. The stanford encyclopedia of philosophy. Spring 2013 Edition.
Wertz DC. Embryo and stem cell research in the United States: history and politics. Gene Ther. 2002;9(11):674–8.
Dunn K. The politics of stem cells. NOVA ScienceNOW. 2005. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/body/stem-cells-politics.html.
Wert G, Mummery C. Human embryonic stem cells: research, ethics and policy. Hum Reprod. 2003;18(4):672–82.
Evans M, Kaufman M. Establishment in culture of pluripotent cells from mouse embryos. Nature. 1981;292(5819):154–6.
Bergman K, Graff GD. The global stem cell patent landscape: implications for efficient technology transfer and commercial development. Nat Biotechnol. 2007;25:419–24. doi:10.1038/nbt0407-419.
Diamond v. Diehr, 450 U.S. 175, 185. 1981.
Diamond v. Chakrabarty, 447 U.S. 303. 1980.
Leahy-Smith America Invents Act (AIA), Pub. L. 112-29, sec. 33(a), 125 Stat. 284.
157 Cong. Rec. E1177-04 Testimony of Representative Dave Weldon previously presented in connection with the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2004, Pub. L. 108-199, '634, 118 Stat. 3, 101, and later resubmitted with regard to the AIA; see 149 Cong. Rec. E2417-01.
Association for Molecular Pathology v. Myriad Genetics, Inc., 133 S.Ct. 2107, 2116-17. 2013.
Consumer Watchdog v. Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation, No. 2013-1377 (Fed. Cir. 2014).
Directive 98/44/EC, Article 6(2)(c).
Brüstle v. Greenpeace eV (C-34/10) [2012] 1 C.M.L.R. 41 (the “Brüstle decision”).
International Stem Cell Corporation versus Comptroller General of Patents, CJEU, 18 December 2014, Case C-364/13.
Australia: PATENTS ACT 1990 No. 83, 1990 - Section 18 (Principal Act).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2016 Springer International Publishing Switzerland
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Davé, E., Xu, N., Davey, N., Davey, S. (2016). Ethics and Patents in Stem Cell Research. In: Abdelalim, E. (eds) Recent Advances in Stem Cells. Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine. Humana Press, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-33270-3_1
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-33270-3_1
Published:
Publisher Name: Humana Press, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-33268-0
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-33270-3
eBook Packages: Biomedical and Life SciencesBiomedical and Life Sciences (R0)