Abstract
Stem cells have the potential to launch a new area of medicine, curing deadly diseases with custom-made tissues and organs. But science and technology may have to take note of regulatory developments, which might impact if, how, and where that hope will be realized. Until now, no data have been available on the influence of national human stem cell research legislation on the technological activity in the field of stem cells. In this contribution, we assess whether legislative framework conditions affect technological activity in this field. Stem cell patent activity (US Patent and Trademark Office [USPTO]/European Patent Office [EPO]) and legislative framework conditions with respect to human stem cell research have been identified and characterized for the period 1997–2003 for 23 countries. For these countries, differences in human stem cell legislation coincide with differences in technological productivity. Where obtaining human stem cells from supernumerary embryos is permitted, higher levels of technological productivity for all types of stem cell research are observed. A more permissive legislative approach to human therapeutic cloning coincides with greater emphasis on embryonic stem cell development activities in general. These findings suggest that technology trajectories are modulated by (national) legislative frameworks.
