European decision on embryo stem cells may undermine medical research
This article was originally published in Clinica
Executive Summary
In an opinion published on 18 October, the European Court of Justice has ruled that a process which involves removal of a stem cell from a human embryo at the blastocyst stage, entailing the destruction of that embryo, is not patentable. The ruling concerns a method invented by Oliver Bruestle of the University of Bonn for converting human embryonic stem cells into nerve cells, and upholds an earlier legal opinion of Advocate General Yves Bott.