A ban would jeopardize the development of therapies for previously incurable diseases.
Developing treatments Embryonic stem cells could be put at risk if they prohibit the patenting of such procedures in Europe, scientists warn.
In a letter published in the journal Nature , researchers from different countries expressed "deep concern" over the next ruling of the Court of Justice of the European Union (EU) over whether to allow patent protection embryonic stem cell lines.
Scientists say a ban will threaten the nascent bioscience industry that "promises to revolutionize the twenty-first century medicine."
The root of the debate are the embryos from which stem cells.
The attorney general of the Court, Judge Yves Bot, presented an opinion in which he declared it was "immoral to patent inventions based on research involving human embryo destruction."
Although the body is not obliged to support the opinion, often does.
"Without incentives"
Embryonic stem cells have the potential to become any body tissue.
Many scientists are very excited about the possibility of using them to create healthy cells to replace diseased tissue.
After more than a decade of research in the United States, where patent-yes there are already conducting clinical trials with these therapies.
" would be devastating for the court to support this opinion. Would jeopardize the future of biomedical research in Europe, and some projects here collapse"
Prof. Austin Smith, Wellcome Trust Centre for Stem Cell Research
In the letter published in Nature , scientists argue that the industry would have no incentive to do research in this field unless their innovations can be protected with patents.
One of the signatories is Professor Austin Smith, Wellcome Trust Centre for Stem Cell Research in Cambridge, England.
"would be devastating for the court to support this opinion. Would jeopardize the future of biomedical research in Europe, and some projects would collapse here," says Smith.
"This would also send the message that scientists are engaged in an immoral activity, so it would be very negative for our community and erode public confidence in what we do," he adds.
Professor Smith says that currently has over 100 lines of embryonic stem cells can be maintained indefinitely, so that concerns about potential commercialization of the human embryo "are inappropriate."
Another signatory, Professor Pete Coffey, director of the London Project to Cure Blindness, says there is "an ethical need to treat diseases" and, applying the ban on patenting, Europe will lose its place as leader in this field of research. Patent
past and future
In U.S. carried out trials with stem cell treatments.
Professor Coffey's team hopes to carry out clinical trials next year of a stem cell treatment for a form of blindness.
The case before the European Court was opened by the environmental organization Greenpeace, Germany.
As stated one of his advisers, Dr. Christoph Then, Greenpeace is not opposed to all research stem cell.
"We do not believe that the general counsel's opinion is very clear."
"Our original proposal was to clarify the patent law, especially regarding the industrial use of embryos," said Then.
is expected that the 13 judges of the Court of Justice of the EU consider the reasoning of Judge Yves Bot in the coming weeks and reach a decision within the next six months on whether to permit or prohibit the patenting past and future bioscience industry.
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