The Roman Catholic Church has reaffirmed its opposition to human embryonic stem-cell research in a document that updates its 20-year-old position on biomedical research and reproductive medicine.
The instruction Dignitas Personae formalizes many previous positions, including a ban on stem cells derived from human cloning and aborted fetuses. Work using adult stem cells, umbilical-cord cells or stem cells from fetuses that died naturally is morally acceptable.
"The Vatican is entitled to its theological position," says Insoo Hyun, chair of the Ethics and Public Policy Committee at the International Society for Stem Cell Research. But, he adds, "many other world religions have a permissive view on human embryonic stem-cell research".
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Vatican formalizes rules on human stem-cell research. Nature 456, 852 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1038/456852b
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/456852b
