Embryonic Research: Science Caught Up by Law?
The legislation on bioethics has evolved based on scientific advances. Today, the issue of embryonic research seems to point to the hypothesis of the realities of science lagging behind its promises and of the law being likely to catch up to science. The creation of a bank of frozen human embryos has attracted the interest of researchers wishing to use them for experimental purposes. Legislation adopted in France in 1994 prohibited this kind of research. New legislation in 2004 provided for one possible exception : such research could be authorized if it was pursuing major therapeutic advances that could not be achieved by any other means. This system was designed to enable researchers to keep the promises they had made since 1994 : to find cures for “incurable” diseases. As we again look back at what has been achieved, these hopes seem more than justified, and alternative research conducted on adult stem cells has proved its effectiveness. Paradoxically, science is now lagging behind the law.