Italy

Stem cell research is a particularly sensitive subject in Italy due to the presence of the Vatican authorities who have always urged that legislation move in the direction of defending the legal status of the embryo. The Vatican has in fact always maintained that the embryo is a human being and must be protected accordingly. Consequently, embryos cannot be manipulated or experimented with at any stage of their development. This position was obviously counteracted by a large part of the Italian scientific community who recognised the possibility of using embryos as a unique chance of discovering new treatments for a number of diseases. Also in terms of public opinion, therapeutic stem cell research is seen with some favour.

After years of endless debate, recently in February 2004, stem cells research was regulated by articles included in a particularly restrictive law which disciplines assisted fertility. The law was passed following a highly charged debate and a final secret vote. Party lines were blurred between the liberal right and left wing, joined by female members of Parliament, accusing Catholic politicians of bowing to Vatican pressure and responding to what they saw as an attack on women's rights.

After the approval of the law, a consistent number of cross-party MPs started to organise a referendum to get the law abolished. On 13 January 2005 Italy's Constitutional Court approved the Referendum to amend but not to cancel the bill. Amongst the points to be reviewed, was the question of whether limited embryonic research should be allowed. But the Referendum, held last June, failed to reach the necessary quorum (50% plus one of all eligible voters). However, MPs and part of the public opinion continue to ask for changes in the law, a hypothesis which is not fully rejected by MPs in favour of the law. It is likely that now the debate on the law's most controversial points, including the one about stem cell research, will again be discussed in Parliament.

Any form of research on embryos, eggs or sperm is now illegal. However, Italian scientists and researchers are actively working on the possibility of extracting stem cells from some adult tissues. A new promising source of stem cells was recently found by a research team of the Italian Higher Health Institute headed by Prof. Cesare Peschle, director of the Teratology Laboratory . These cells, found in blood and bone marrow, when cultivated in laboratory, are able to differentiate into blood vessels and can successfully be used to repair arteries and veins damaged by disease. It remains to be seen whether such stem cells will also be able to differentiate into other kinds of tissues or organs. Another line of research on which Italian scientists are concentrating their efforts is the so called technique of "nuclear transfer": stem cells are obtained removing the nucleus from a non fertilised spare egg (oocyte) and replacing it with another nucleus taken from the patient's somatic cells. A few projects have been recently funded by the Ministry of Research, but the main source of financial support for research carried out on adult stem cells is represented by a fund made available by the Ministry of Health and administered by the Higher Health Institute. For 2003-2005, funding amounted to around 7,5 million Euro per year with its allocation decided by a specially appointed Committee.

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