Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research

Regenerative medicine is a new field of medical research whose aim is to use innovative medical technologies to cure, or to partially or completely “reconstruct”, diseased or injured cells, tissues or organs, or to support the body’s own cures. Stem cells are regarded as a source of hope in regenerative medicine. Although stem cell research is still at an early stage worldwide, the medical potential of these cells in the treatment of many diseases that currently cannot be adequately treated is very highly regarded by the international research community.

In order to improve conditions for conducting this research, BIO Deutschland’s position paper makes demands on the following points:

• Ensuring research freedom within ethical and moral guidelines.
• Using an open minded public dialogue to inform the public on the uses and risks of genetic research.
• Targeted public financing of stem cell research.
• The research focus to be on work with adult stem cells.
• Improving the conditions for innovation in research by the adjustment of the regulation on the deadline for research on embryonic stem cells.
• Reducing bureaucratic barriers in the official authorisation procedures in the field of stem cell research.