lecture reproductive technology 14-01-2026

rathenau insituut

politics and perspectives on esearch with human embroyos and embryo like structures (creating embroys for only scientific porposes)

rathenau comite advice on computers at the workplace

NL organisatie voor technologische aspectenonderzoek

renamed rathenau instituut

A public knowledge organization

  • Scientific quality

  • independence

  • relevance

reseacrch with human embroys and the like

  • embroys begin of the vertilisation and if eggcells devide

  • VIF = more embroys created then put into the whom

  • now can freeze embroys

  • left over embroys (okay form parents) and is used for reseach

why you want to research human embroys

  • how does the earlist huan development work

  • how do deseases and genitec conditions

  • what causes infertility

  • development of treatments for the above

Sensitive research : regulated by dutch embryo law (2002)

  • regulates what reseacch can and connot do

  • (untill now) allows for

    • scienrific use of dnated ivf embroys

    • with informed consent of both genie=tic parents

    • up to 14 day of development

    • after approval by CCMO ( they say yes or no to your reseach)

Then the embryo like structures came (stemcells => to everything muscle cells , bone cells , bloodcells and even embryo like structures)

sCEINTIFIC DEVELOPMENTS LEAD TO POLITICAL DEBATE AROUND THE DUCCH EMBRYO

  1. legistlative proposal to lift moratiriom on breeding embroys for reseach

  2. eveluation of embroyo law : proposal to change def of embru to include embryo like strctures and ivg embryos

  3. health council report allaow reseach up to 28 days

rathenau institue the perspectives of citizens on these thems

why include citizens in democratic decision making about science and tech deelopment

3 main arguments

  • citizens hae the right to

  • legitimacy of science

  • societal alignment of development and regulation of science on and what happens to embroys

How do we organise reseach and diologue

  • surves 2009;2020;2025

  • fosucgroups

  • dialogue sessions

  • festiva tour

  • exposition in Nemo

creating embryo’'s for research purposes

  • VVD and D66 : initiative to lift the ban

  • 2025 debates in the parliament

What does the dutch public think

  • the most people think it is negative

Maar een left over embroy gebruiken is dan wel okay

  • most people said yes there is a diffirence (there is a diffrent porpuse embroys are only made for research and using embroys that are not used)

Considering everthing do you thnik the van on the creation of embroys especially for research should be manintained

  • most people said yes

  • 30.5 percent said no

More than just moral status or scientific progress

  • how do we ensure the ethical retrieval of oocytes

  • what becomes technologically possible ?

  • who will profit from this ?

  • What soceital consequences will this have?

  • Do we keep pushing the voundaries of the law ? where lies the limit?

  • How do we deal with deffernt standards and developments in other countries

  • the NL may get behind in science not a strong argement

The creation of embroys creates newe sceintific possibilities

  • among wich

    • Better testing of new fertility treatments

  • But also furthering nwe potentially impactful tech

    • Resech into gemline editing

      •  is not forbidden but was de facto impossible

      • gemline editing can only be done in the early embryo

      • (IVF embroys are already 6 days old)

  • Creation of embrys from in vitro gametes

Next chaper

  • current pending renewal of the duch embryo law

    • revisiing he def of what is an embroyo

    • to include complete embromodels and embroys created from IVG gamets

  • Debate planned march 9 2026

  • Non integrated (incomplete embryo models will not be embroys for the law

    • To be regulated under the wet zeggenschap lichaamsmateriaal.

So the complete model will be defined as an embryo regconize IVG embryo will be also called an embryo

Broad societal diologue on embryo models

  • to increase societal debate

  • to ganin insight into citizen perspectives

    • Qualittive analysis

  • 5 large scale events and festivals

karateristics

  • age

  • religious

  • political orentation

  • education

  • Gender

increasingly more sensitive by every step

=> 1. incomplete , 2. complete , 3. oocyte , 3. sperm cell , 3. IVG embryo

Results

what is at stake for whom ?

various layers

  1. embryo model

  2. kind

  3. families

  4. samnleving

  5. internationele context

  6. planeet en mensheid

three main take awys

  • societal discussion scientific progress vs idiological arguments

  • concersn about naturalness and making perfect life

  • widespread belief that in the Nl this reasch can take place responsibly