Skip to main content

Embryology

Volume 703: debated on Tuesday 22 July 2008

asked Her Majesty’s Government:

Further to the Written Answers by Lord Darzi of Denham on 22 January (WA 28) and 8 July (WA 73) and by Baroness Morgan of Drefelin on 14 May (WA 135), why the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority has been unable to advise the Department of Health on the efficacy of stem cell derivation from whole human embryos cultured beyond 14 days to form outgrowths, from which no stem cell lines have reportedly been deposited in the UK Stem Cell Bank since the issue was raised in 2006. [HL4864]

The department has not asked the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) for advice regarding the efficacy of stem cell derivation from outgrown embryos. It would be for the HFEA to form a view on this technique, if it were appropriate, to assess the validity of a licence application.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Further to the Written Answer by Baroness Morgan of Drefelin on 14 May (WA 135), what have been the shortest recorded and average time intervals between award of a licence by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority for the purpose of deriving embryonic stem cell lines and deposition of the resulting stem cell lines in the UK Stem Cell Bank. [HL4923]

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Further to the Written Answers by Lord Darzi of Denham on 19 June (WA 177–78), 24 June (WA 227) and 8 July (WA 73), which of the centres licensed by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) are known to have been culturing whole embryos to form outgrowths for more than 14 days; how many embryonic stem cell lines in total have been deposited by each of these centres in the UK Stem Cell Bank; what proportion of the stem cell lines deposited by each of these licensed centres were derived from outgrowing embryos; and which of these licensed centres were simultaneously pursuing projects for which one of the specified purposes considered by the HFEA in corresponding licence applications was “increasing knowledge about the development of embryos”. [HL4924]

No licence from the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) permits centres to culture live human embryos beyond 14 days or the appearance of the primitive streak, in accordance with Sections 3(3)(a) and 3(4) of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology (HFE) Act 1990. Entities which form when human embryos are allowed to outgrow their structure are not classed as live human embryos and do not breach Sections 3(3)(a) and 3(4) of the 1990 HFE Act.

This is because the entities do not have the organisation structure of a viable embryo and are not representative of a 3D suspended embryo undergoing gastrulation (the stage of development during which the primitive streak emerges). The HFEA has issued licences to two centres (St Mary's Manchester and Roslin Cells Limited) that allow embryos to outgrow in this way in order to extract the inner cell mass.

One research project (at Guy's Hospital, London) has been licensed by the HFEA under several purposes, including increasing knowledge about the development of embryos.

It is a condition of an HFEA research licence that if a stem cell is derived a sample of the line has to be deposited in the United Kingdom Stem Cell Bank. The HFEA is aware that 35 stem cell lines have been derived under HFEA licences. Information on the lines that have been deposited and the number of lines awaiting to be deposited can be found on the UK Stem Cell Bank website at: www.ukstemcellbank.org.uk.