ABSTRACT
In Europe, different attitudes prevail regarding the regulation of human embryo research and the transfer of these research results into clinical practice. This chapter reviews the attitudes in the United Kingdom (UK), Belgium and Germany. In the UK research on human gametes and embryos used in studies on the process of fertilisation is regulated by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology (HFE) Act of 1990. In Germany, the Embryo Protection Law includes a number of restrictions for clinical practice. In Belgium, several new procedures related to assisted reproductive technology (ART) such as intra-cytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) and pre-implantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) were correctly introduced into the clinic by self-regulation and continuous audit of the clinical and research activities. The chapter discusses three future areas involving research on human embryos: PGD, the case of the embryo in relation to the ethics of cloning and other future possible directions of human embryo research.
