Regulating Stem Cell Research

摘要

Some think it is the future of medicine, others say it is inherently evil. With such polarised opinions and intense public interest, not to mention the complexity and demands of the science, policy on stem cell research is a delicate area. But despite the arguments and claims that too much media-fuelled hype surrounds the science, its potential cannot be disputed. This is reflected by the growing number of patent applications in the field of stem cell technology; in Europe, for example, this number almost doubled from 2003 to 20041. But the US is far and away the dominant force in the field of stem cell research. More than 50% of the patent applications which have been filed for patent technologies have been filed in the US.