Many Couples Choose To Donate Surplus Embryos For Stem Cell Research

Nearly 50% of couples who were interviewed at least 3 years after undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF) chose to donate their surplus, stored embryos for stem cell research, according to a report by the Spanish Stem Cell Bank in an April 26, 2007, advanced online publication of Cell Stem Cell, a new publication of Cell Press in affiliation with the International Society for Stem Cell Research.

The key to the couples' decisions, according to the authors of the report, was the complete and clear explanation of their options through an interview process with a legal advisor and embryologist, which helped couples navigate the confusing legal situation and address any concerns they might have had about donation for research purposes. While the findings reflect the interest level among couples in Spain--where the stem cell research environment is fairly open and people have traditionally been supportive of organ and tissue donation--the researchers believe that the results can be generalized to other countries.

"We are convinced that if this type of personal interview and survey were carried out in the U.S.A., at least...