Denmark

With an amendment to the existing Danish Act on Medically Assisted Procreation it has been possible for Danish scientists to investigate human embryonic stem cells from national sources from September 1, 2003. Only stem cells derived from up to 14 days old human embryos developed from in vitro fertilised eggs formed in excess for infertility treatment can be used, in keeping with the Convention on Human Rights and Biomedicine of the European Council. Danish embryonic stem cell research must be approved according to the rules of the scientific ethical committee system.

After September 1 2003, academics expected a strategy and funds for the Danish stem cell research but, to date, this has not materialized. A significant part of the Danish stem cell research is undertaken and coordinated by The Danish Centre for Stem Cell Research which was established in April 2002 based on 9 existing research groups from universities and private research institutes.It was started with DKK 23.6 million in funding from the Danish Research Council to cover five years. The centre has a virtual structure and focus on both basic and applied stem cell research. Centre partners are nine research groups located at the University of Southern Denmark at Odense, Odense University Hospital, Copenhagen University and Aalborg University, as well as the companies NsGene A/S, a cell therapy spin-out from NeuroSearch A/S, Ballerup-Copenhagen, and the Novo Nordisk-associated Hagedorn Research Institute in Gentofte.

At the same time a Stem Cell Research School DASCDOC for PhD-students was established by a 5-year grant from the Danish Research Council. DASCDOC is interdisciplinary, consisting so far of 19 research groups from Danish universities and university hospitals, veterinary research institutions, sector research institutions, and biotechnology industry. The aim of the Doctoral School is to train PhDs in the field of stem cell research and related technologies, including developmental biology and cell replacement therapies in regenerative medicine. The focal areas are early embryonic development, transgene technologies, and stem cell isolation and differentiation in relation to stem cell-based therapies including brain, liver, pancreas, intestines, mesenchymal tissues (skeletal muscle, cartilage, bone, heart) and the blood and the immune system.

Denmark is loosing ground in stem cell research due to lack of funding, but the existing researchers are well recognized globally and have published several findings of international quality. For example, on June 3rd 2005, the results of from two research groups at the University of Southern Denmark and the University Hospital of Odense, Odense, Denmark, were published in Science magazine.

According to Danish law, human life starts at the time of fertilisation. Members of the Danish Council of Ethics have different views on which sort of moral status the early embryo possesses. As a result, its members also have different views on the ethical defensibility of undertaking research into early embryos and, in the fullness of time perhaps, developing therapies for serious disorders, treatment of which is based on embryonic stem cells. Five members consider the moral status of the human embryo such that embryonic stem cells must not be used; eleven members find that, in principle, embryonic stem cells can be used as long as substantial benefits are available for treating disease.Nine of the members able to approve the use of embryonic stem cells in principle, however, find that there is no pressing need at the present to allow embryonic stem cells to be produced for research or possible treatment of disease, either by cloning or by the in vitro technique, as known from IVF therapy. This is because treating severe disease with stem cells is still only a theoretical possibility, and manufacturing embryos for any purpose other than having the embryo become a child may constitute a slide in values. Initially, therefore, these members recommend that research into embryonic stem cells be confined to embryos left over from IVF treatment. Finally, two members feel that the use of therapeutic cloning with a view to research into the treatment of severe disorders is ethically acceptable; providing such research is carried out on very early embryos only, compare current legislation.

UK is highly regarded in Danish academic circles for their activities in stem cell research. Danish researchers regularly attend courses in UK and several Danish Ph.D. students spend 3-5 month of their studies in UK. Partly due to the activities in DASCDOC, Denmark will be producing a number of Ph.D.'s in stem cell research in the coming years. Since there is no obvious added funding available to absorb these people there should be an excellent opportunity to attract Danish Ph.D.'s to UK. It could be advantageous for UK to sponsor visits to UK laboratories or conduct another stem cell seminar in Denmark to promote UK.

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