Mayumi Kusunose
University of Tokyo, Japan
Title: Ethical, legal, and social issues pertaining to induced pluripotent stem cell bio-banking in paediatrics in Japan
Biography
Biography: Mayumi Kusunose
Abstract
Regenerative medicinal research utilizing induced stem cells (iPSCs) is one of the cutting-edge research areas in Japan. It is an element of Japan’s New Growth Strategy and a 110-billion-Yen budget created in 2013 to strengthen and accelerate stem cell research over a ten-year period. With the Japanese government’s support, nationwide stem cell research projects have been conducting and the first human clinical trial using iPSC conducted on an age-related macular degeneration patient in 2014. Under these circumstances, iPSC banking projects have been undertaken. Notably, the iPSC stock project collects HLA homogeneous cells to create clinically applicable iPSC lines. iPSC banking is a relatively new system and now faces new ethical, legal, and social issues (ELSI) and its governance. ELSI on umbilical cord blood banking for clinical use and ELSI on DNA banking for research use been actively discussed. However, ELSI on iPSC banking is not been thoroughly examined yet in Japan. Without saying anything that there has not been much research on ELSI pertaining to iPSC banking targeting children and minors, such as returning results to minors and parents. Therefore, our poster examines the ELSI on iPSC banking in paediatrics based on our experience with the ethical supports in iPSC banking for basic research. In addition, we will introduce and examine the new guidelines outlined in ‘Ethical Guidelines for Human Medical Research’ that will be enacted in April 2015, as a reference as it elaborates on clinical research pertaining to minors and the relevant assent issues.
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