Should Australian laws regulating embryo research be reformed? A call for commonwealth review.

Abstract

Human embryo research can provide important scientific insights to help humanity. But it also poses ethical questions that remain contested. Since 2002, Australian law has limited human embryo research under strict licensing conditions, but there has been no formal review in almost 15years. The development of stem cell-based embryo models that closely resemble human embryos, and improved culturing techniques that allow human embryos to be grown to potentially beyond 14days, have pushed the limits of current legislation. We argue that a comprehensive review is needed to address recent scientific advances and to better account for public sentiment.