PARIS — In 2004, France made a radical reversal by lifting its total ban on human embryonic stem cell research. But the law governing approval to conduct these types of studies remains convoluted, and scientists worry that the current system is dissuading companies from setting up research outfits in France. Proposals to update the French bioethics law will finally be presented to Parliament in early February, and a compromise may be on its way to help satisfy all partisans on this score.

Scientists are virtually unanimous in the opinion that the current ban with exemptions should be dropped, but politicians remain divided over the question. “The opposition comes mainly from the Roman Catholics and crosses party lines,” says Jean-Sébastien Vialatte, a parliamentarian and vice president of a special all-party National Assembly committee for the new law. Although France has been a staunchly secular country since 1905, “there has been strong pressure from the Church,” he adds.

Embryonic development: New ethics rules. Credit: istockphoto

The draft bill adopted by the cabinet of ministers last October still includes a ban on work involving human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) and embryos but has special exemptions for research that could lead to “major medical progress.” This is aimed to ease the current requirement in the 2004 French law that any approved research must have the prospect to bring “major therapeutic progress.”

“This is a very important improvement,” says biologist Marc Peschanski, whose team at France's Institute for Stem Cell Therapy and Exploration of Monogenic Diseases (I-STEM) was the first to generate whole skin grafts from stem cells. “It will allow for studies on diagnostics and pathology mechanisms, which could open the way to new therapies,” he adds. Research for cosmetic purposes, for example, would still be illegal.

As Nature Medicine was going to press, the ad hoc committee was hashing out amendments to be added to the bill, but a compromise was starting to take shape. Some people speculate that the ban with exemptions will probably be kept for in vitro embryos. But it looks as though the partial ban on hESCs will be lifted and replaced by a general authorization, with restrictions.

A general authorization to work with stem cells might still require scientists to get approval from the Biomedical Agency, which oversees such projects, for their research endeavors with hESCs. “Whatever Parliament decides [on the ban], it will not make much difference in practice, because researchers will probably still have to seek authorization from the Biomedical Agency before embarking on any embryonic stem cell or in vitro embryo research,” director general Emmanuelle Prada-Bordenave says.

But, according to Peschanski, continuing the system would be “a catastrophe,” especially now that stem cell research is moving from the basic to the applied stage. This means “we need new industrial and hospital partners and investments involving millions of euros,” and these partners are spooked away by heavy-handed restrictions, he explains.