Australian National Health and Medical Research Council
Working to build a healthy Australia.
The National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) is Australia’s leading expert body promoting the development and maintenance of public and individual health standards. The NHMRC is internationally unique in that it combines within the one organisation the roles and responsibilities of supporting health and medical research; investigating the need for and developing health standards and population health advice; considering ethical issues in health and in research involving humans and animals; and regulating research involving the use of human embryos.
The functions of the NHMRC come from the statutory obligations conferred by three Acts of Parliament, the National Health and Medical Research Council Act 1992, the Prohibition of Human Cloning for Reproduction Act 2002 and the Research Involving Human Embryos Act 2002.
The Prohibition of Human Cloning for Reproduction Act 2002 prohibits a number of activities including the implantation in a woman of human embryo clones but allows some other activities involving human embryos (such as somatic cell nuclear transfer) only if they are authorised by a licence issued in accordance with the Research Involving Human Embryos Act 2002.
The Research Involving Human Embryos Act 2002 establishes a framework for regulating research on embryos that are surplus to approved in vitro fertilisation programs and for the creation and/or use of certain other categories of human embryos for research purposes.
The research budget for the NHMRC in 2008 was $560 million, with $16.6 million allocated for stem cell research within 2007-08.
Stem cell strategy
Under the Research Involving Human Embryos Act 2002 it is possible in Australia to derive embryonic stem cells from human embryos that are identified as excess to patients’ assisted reproductive technology (ART) treatment. This can only occur under a licence issued by the NHMRC Licensing Committee, with the fully informed consent of the embryo donors. Amendments to Australian legislation which commenced in June 2007 broadened the scope of the licensable activities, permitting the NHMRC Licensing Committee to license research activities previously prohibited such as somatic cell nuclear transfer. Such research can only occur under a licence issued by the NHMRC Licensing Committee, with the fully informed consent of the donors of eggs, others cells or genetic material.
Embryonic stem cells and cloning: http://www.nhmrc.gov.au/embryos/stemcells/patterson.htm
Ethical guidelines on the use of assisted reproductive technology in clinical practice and research (2007): http://www.nhmrc.gov.au/publications/synopses/e78syn.htm
The use of existing stem cell lines is permitted in Australia under the approval of institutional human research ethics committees, in accordance with guidance issued by the NHMRC’s Australian Health Ethics Committee.
National Statement on ethical conduct in human research (2007): http://www.nhmrc.gov.au/publications/synopses/e72syn.htm
Key stem cell centres/investments
Australian Stem Cell Centre
http://www.stemcellcentre.edu.au/
National Centre for Adult Stem Cell Research
http://www.griffith.edu.au/science/national-centre-adult-stem-cell-research
Monash Immunology and Stem Cell Laboratories
http://www.med.monash.edu.au/miscl/
Outcomes of licensed embryonic stem cell research are published in the NHMRC Embryo Research Licensing Committee Report to the Parliament of Australia: http://www.nhmrc.gov.au/embryos/information/reports/index.htm
Contacts
NSW Stem Cell Network
http://www.diabetes.unsw.edu.au/STEM/about_us/about_us.htm
Australian Research Council
http://www.arc.gov.au/
NHMRC – Human embryos and cloning
http://www.nhmrc.gov.au/embryos/index.htm
