Fetal Research and Applications A Conference Summary (1994) / Chapter Skim
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Pages 60-64
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From page 60... ...
The political, ethical, and legal controversies elaborated in the first session, however, continue to entangle this field. In the United States, without an Ethics Advisory Board, such controversies resulted in an outright prohibition of most fetal research funded by the federal government.
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From page 61... ...
A baseline understanding of all the factors involved in human embryo development is still lacking, including cell cycles, secretory products, environmental tolerances, growth factors, differentiation events, and their controls. In vitro embryos produced or donated for research and oocytes derived from aborted fetuses would provide opportunities to shed light on both normal development and the mechanisms of genetic diseases and human cancers.
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From page 62... ...
Another example comes from studies of the molecular biology of enzymes, which suggest that genetic factors regulating enzyme function may produce important differences from one fetus to another in susceptibility to environmental toxins such as components of cigarette smoke. Postmortem studies are also required in cases of spontaneous abortion to identify the contributions of placental and other pathologies and to diagnose undetected genetic abnormalities that will inevitably compromise a woman's future pregnancies.
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From page 63... ...
Transplant work continues to rely, however, on basic research aimed at defining the precise patterns of neural development, such as the complex patterning of the cerebral cortex that arises from a set of precursor or stem cells controlled by both genetic and environmental mechanisms. Animal experiments have also defined critical time periods during which fetal neurons are most useful for transplant.
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From page 64... ...
In summary, then, the conference provided a broad overview of the diversity and direction of current fetal research and a starting point for creating a future research agenda. Examination of the impressive progress that has been made in the face of severe obstacles underscores the need for national guidelines and resolution of the problem of contradictory state regulations.
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