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United Kingdom

THE UNITED KINGDOM encompasses the countries of England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. The United Kingdom has a long history of scientific advances in human development. The results of research in the United Kingdom have included the first child born using in vitro fertilization technology, in 1978, and the first cloned mammal (a sheep named Dolly), as well as the creation of human embryos through parthenogenesis. Because of the potential conflicts arising from the very nature of stem cell technology (ethical, scientific, and potential health benefits), the Warnock Committee was tasked with determining guidelines for research on stem cells, human embryos, fetuses, and cloning within the United Kingdom. With so many advances being made in stem cell research and the field of embryology, the United Kingdom has placed itself at the forefront of this research, with government support, appropriate legislation and funding, strong scientific research foundation, public support of biomédical research, and international cooperative relationships and partnerships. The United Kingdom is home to various researchers active in stem cell research at academic institutions, clinicians seeking regenerative medicine technology to improve quality of life, and private companies pursuing means of translating research into commercially viable products.

Laws, Regulation, and Funding

The research and consideration done by the Warnock Committee resulted in the 1990 Human Fertilization and Embryology Act 1990 and the Human Fertilization and Embryology regulations of January 22, 2001, as well as a ban on reproductive cloning effective December 4, 2001. The United Kingdom has no ban on therapeutic cloning, though surveillance is in place to ensure that every cloned embryo is accounted for and subject to the law. The act was amended in 2001 to allow the use of embryos for stem cell research, and consequently, the Human Fertilization and Embryology Authority (HFEA) has the responsibility for regulating all human embryonic stem cell research in the United Kingdom. Approval for research may be granted for research focused on treatment for infertility, causes of congenital disease or miscarriages, contraceptive development, detecting or diagnosing genetic or chromosomal abnormalities in embryos before their use for in vitro fertilization, and other purposes to increase knowledge regarding the creation and development of embryos and their potential use in developing medical therapies. The Human Tissue Act 2004 replaced previous acts on human tissues, anatomy, and human organ transplants for the regulation and licensing of collection, storage, and transplantation or research of human organs and tissues. The act requires appropriate consent be gotten before proceeding with research.

Combined, these laws permit human embryonic stem cell research and the creation of embryos for research purposes and cloning on embryos younger than 14 days (research on embryos older than 14 days is prohibited because of the formation of the central nervous system). All research must be licensed by the governing authority. Research proposals may be denied if they do not meet the approved focus for research or if is possible for the research to be completed using nonhuman or other means.

Human Tissue Authority

The Human Tissue Authority (HTA) is a public entity within the Department of Health and was established on April 1, 2005, under the Human Tissue Act 2004 and maintains authority in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. A separate act, the Human Tissue (Scotland) Act 2006, regulates Scotland. The HTA is responsible for ensuring appropriate practices related to the collection, storage, and transplantation or research using human tissues and organs and disseminating information related to these issues to the public and professional stakeholders including encouraging collaboration on these issues.

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