<생명윤리및안전에관한법률>에 대한 검토 - 배아연구와 줄기세포연구를 중심으로 -

Comments on the Bioethics and Biosafety Act - NT and stem cell research -

After very hot debates, the Bioetics and Biosafety Act was enforced 1 January 2005. But the enforcement of this Act does not mean the end of the debates, but the very start of the debates. The reasons of this argument is (1) life science and biotchnologies are very rapidly developing area, (2) this Act is a results of the compromise of the debates, (3) this Act includes almost all the areas of the life science and biotechnlogies, so the provisions are very abstract. The aims of this Act is to enhance the health of human beings and the quality of human life by creating conditions that allow for the development of life science and biotechnologies that can be used to prevent or cure human diseases. And this Act also aims to protect human dignity and to prevent harm to human beings by ensuring that these life sciences and biotechnologies are developed safety and in accordance with the principles of bioethics. Rapid advances in human somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) for stem cell research in South Korea have triggered many new issues in research ethics. A key question that has emerged is whether oocyte donors are vulnerable to exploitation by researchers and therefore ought to be afforded safeguards above and beyond what is normally provided for women who donate oocytes for purely medical or reproductive purposes. I agree that protecting oocyte donors is of vital concern, and I also offer that the potential vulnerability of somatic cell donors demands careful ethical scrutiny. I described the donation consent procedures. These guidelines were closely followed in the Korean research protocol which resulted in the recent derivation of eleven patient-specific pluripotent stem cell lines. There are some needs to revise the Bioethics and Biosafety Act. We should have more definitive provisions. We also should have some provisions which regulate the stem cell research and the xenotransplantation. And we should consider the reasonable agreement procedure for the national Bioethics Counsel. We always consider the general and professional perceptions when we make the provisions.