Denmark agrees to embryonic stem cell imports
This article was originally published in Clinica
Executive Summary
Danish health minister Lars Lcentkke Rasmussen last week sought to clarify Denmark's position on the importing of embryonic stem cells for research purposes. Mr Rasmussen was adamant that human eggs in Denmark could not be used to create stem cells because Danish law did not allow them to be used for any purpose other than artificial insemination. But he said that it was now possible to import existing cell lines from Sweden and the US, among other countries. "These cells cannot develop into an individual and therefore no longer have the s status of fertilised eggs," he said. The law would thus allow them to be used for research, he added.