Ethics of research on stem cells and regenerative medicine: ethical guidelines in the Islamic Republic of Iran

Leila Afshar; Hamid-Reza Aghayan; Jila Sadighi; Babak Arjmand; Seyed-Mahmoud Hashemi; Mohsen Basiri; Reza Omani Samani; Mohammad Kazemi Ashtiani; Seyed-Ali Azin; Ensiyeh Hajizadeh-Saffar; Ehsan Shamsi Gooshki; Amir-Ali Hamidieh; Mohammad-Reza Rezania Moallem; Seyed-Mohammad Azin; Sadegh Shariatinasab; Mehdi Soleymani-Goloujeh; Hossein Baharvand

doi:10.1186/s13287-020-01916-z

Stem Cell Research & Therapy (Sep 2020)

Ethics of research on stem cells and regenerative medicine: ethical guidelines in the Islamic Republic of Iran

Leila Afshar,
Hamid-Reza Aghayan,
Jila Sadighi,
Babak Arjmand,
Seyed-Mahmoud Hashemi,
Mohsen Basiri,
Reza Omani Samani,
Mohammad Kazemi Ashtiani,
Seyed-Ali Azin,
Ensiyeh Hajizadeh-Saffar,
Ehsan Shamsi Gooshki,
Amir-Ali Hamidieh,
Mohammad-Reza Rezania Moallem,
Seyed-Mohammad Azin,
Sadegh Shariatinasab,
Mehdi Soleymani-Goloujeh,
Hossein Baharvand

Affiliations

Leila Afshar: Department of Medical Ethics, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences
Hamid-Reza Aghayan: Cell therapy and Regenerative Medicine Research Center, Endocrinology and Metabolism Molecular Cellular Sciences Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences
Jila Sadighi: Department of Health Promotion, Health Metrics Research Center, Institute for Health Sciences Research, ACECR
Babak Arjmand: Cell therapy and Regenerative Medicine Research Center, Endocrinology and Metabolism Molecular Cellular Sciences Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences
Seyed-Mahmoud Hashemi: Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences
Mohsen Basiri: Department of Stem Cells and Developmental Biology, Cell Science Research Center, Royan Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Technology, ACECR
Reza Omani Samani: Department of Medical Ethics and Law, Reproductive Biomedicine Research Center, Royan Institute for Reproductive Biomedicine, ACECR
Mohammad Kazemi Ashtiani: Department of Cell Engineering, Cell Science Research Center, Royan Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Technology, ACECR
Seyed-Ali Azin: Reproductive Biotechnology Research Center, Avicenna Research Institute, ACECR
Ensiyeh Hajizadeh-Saffar: Department of Regenerative Medicine, Cell Science Research Center, Royan Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Technology, ACECR
Ehsan Shamsi Gooshki: Medical Ethics and History of Medicine Research Center, Department of Medical Ethics, Faculty of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences
Amir-Ali Hamidieh: Pediatric cell therapy research center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences
Mohammad-Reza Rezania Moallem: Department of Medical Ethics and Law, Reproductive Biomedicine Research Center, Royan Institute for Reproductive Biomedicine, ACECR
Seyed-Mohammad Azin: Department of Medical Ethics and Law, Reproductive Biomedicine Research Center, Royan Institute for Reproductive Biomedicine, ACECR
Sadegh Shariatinasab: Department of Medical Ethics and Law, Reproductive Biomedicine Research Center, Royan Institute for Reproductive Biomedicine, ACECR
Mehdi Soleymani-Goloujeh: Department of Stem Cells and Developmental Biology, Cell Science Research Center, Royan Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Technology, ACECR
Hossein Baharvand: Department of Stem Cells and Developmental Biology, Cell Science Research Center, Royan Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Technology, ACECR

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s13287-020-01916-z
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 11, no. 1
pp. 1 – 5

Abstract

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Abstract Background Regenerative medicine plays a major role in biomedicine, and given the ever-expanding boundaries of this knowledge, numerous ethical considerations have been raised. Main text Rapid advancement of regenerative medicine science and technology in Iran, emerged the Iranian National Committee for Ethics in Biomedical Research to develop a comprehensive national ethical guideline. Therefore, the present ethical guideline which comprises eleven chapters was developed in 2019 and approved in early 2020. The titles of these chapters were selected based on the ethical considerations of various aspects of the field of regenerative medicine: (1) ethical principles of research on stem cells and regenerative medicine; (2) ethical considerations for research on stem cells (embryonic stem cells, epiblast stem cells, tissue-specific stem cells, stem cells derived from transdifferentiation, induced pluripotent stem cells [iPSCs], germline pluripotent stem cells, germline stem cells, and somatic cell nuclear transfer [SCNT] stem cells); (3) ethical considerations for research on somatic cells in regenerative medicine (adult somatic cells, fetal tissue somatic cells, and somatic cells derived from pregnancy products [other than fetus]); (4) ethical considerations for research on gametes in regenerative medicine; (5) ethical considerations for research related to genetic manipulation (human and animal) in regenerative medicine; (6) ethical considerations for research on tissue engineering in regenerative medicine; (7) ethical considerations for pre-clinical studies in regenerative medicine; (8) ethical considerations for clinical trials in regenerative medicine; (9) ethical considerations for stem cells and regenerative medicine bio-banks; (10) ethical considerations for privacy and confidentiality; and (11) ethical considerations for obtaining informed consent. Conclusion This article discusses the process of developing the present ethical guidelines and its practical points. We hope that it can play an important worldwide role in advancing ethics of research on stem cells and regenerative medicine.

Published in Stem Cell Research & Therapy

ISSN: 1757-6512 (Online)
Publisher: BMC
Country of publisher: United Kingdom
LCC subjects: Medicine: Medicine (General); Science: Chemistry: Organic chemistry: Biochemistry
Website: https://stemcellres.biomedcentral.com

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