Use of umbilical cord blood for stem cell research.

Umbilical cord blood (UCB), long treated as waste material, is today considered a valuable source of hematopoietic stem cells. UCB is used, mostly in children, for the treatment of blood malignancies and inherited blood and metabolic disorders. In addition to blood precursor cells, UCB also contains stem cells that can differentiate into other types, such as cartilage, fat, hepatic, cardiac, and neural cells, fuelling speculation about the use of cord blood stem cells for regenerative medicine.

The human embryo: ethical and legal aspects.

This paper analyses the status of the embryo in Canadian law. First, a brief overview of some ethical issues raised by research with embryos, focusing on the moral status of the embryo, is presented. A survey of the regulatory framework applicable to embryo research in Canada follows, so as to delineate the legal status of the embryo in Canada and its ethical underpinnings.

Preimplantation genetic diagnosis: an overview of socio-ethical and legal considerations.

Preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) permits the selection of embryos of a particular genotype prior to implantation. As a reproductive technology involving embryo selection, PGD has become associated with considerable controversy. This review examines some of the ethical, legal, and social issues raised by PGD.