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KMID : 1025620030060010063
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Korean Journal of Medical Ethics
2003 Volume.6 No. 1 p.63 ~ p.80
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The Role of Institutional Review Boards and Stem Cell Research
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Kim Ok-Joo
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Abstract
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This paper examines the role of the institutional review (IRB) board with special reference to stem cell research. The main question raised in this paper is whether ethics review by local IRBs is sufficient for human embryonic stem cell research. In spite of growing dissatisfaction with current IRB operation, most countries recognize the importance of function of IRBs for guarding social and ethical values in human embryonic research. While a few countries completely banned all kinds of research which derives stem cell from human embryo, other countries like Japan and UK allow human embryonic stem cell research. In UK all embryo research including stemcell research are regulated by a statutory body, Human Fertilization and Embryology Authority (HFEA), founded based upon Human Fertilization and Embryology Act in 1990. With strict and transparent review, inspection, and audit process, HFEA gives a license to a specific research project that was already reviewed by a Research Ethics Committee. In Japan, research protocols for deriving stem cell from embryo or those for using embryonic stem cell should be double checked by local IRBs and a committee under the Ministry of Culture and Science. In Korea, guidelines recommend that stem cell researches be reviewed by local IRBs and an Ethics Committee. In spite of a short history of IRB system, local IRBs and ethics committees are now establishing ethics review of stem cell research.
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KEYWORD
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human embryo research, stem cell research, research ethics, institutional review board (IRB)
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