WHEN it comes to deciding what stem cell researchers should and should not be allowed to do, opinion seems as divided as ever. Now the International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR) has joined the fray by publishing the first international guidelines on embryonic stem cell research.
The guidelines, published on 1 February, are not binding but they do carry the weight of leading scientific opinion and are likely to be influential in many countries. Their stance is permissive on two controversial issues: payment for women donating their eggs to research, and controls on projects involving human/animal chimeras.
“The rules are permissive on payment for…
