HL Deb 07 February 1994 vol 551 cc110-2WA
Lord Braine of Wheatley

asked Her Majesty's Government:

How many research projects using human embryos have been licensed by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority since it was appointed; and

Whether they will list the research projects using human embryos which have been licensed by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority since it was appointed.

Baroness Cumberlege

The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) assumed its full powers on 1 August 1991. Since then 44 research projects involving human embryos have been licensed. These are:

Preimplantation stage diagnosis of sickle cell anaemia and haemophilia A in the human embryo

A study of the growth requirements of cell lines derived from parts of the human blastocyst

The definition of optimum culture conditions for the culture of human preimplantation embryos in-vitro

The identification of criteria of human preimplantation embryo viability

Measurement of intracellular metabolites at fertilisation

Immunobiological investigations into human fertilisation and implantation

The definition of optimal culture conditions for the culture of human preimplantation embryos in-vitro

The development of a contraceptive vaccine

Methods for evaluating normality of pre-implantation development

Studies of methods for the cryopreservation of human oocytes

Transplantation antigen expression of human preimplantation embryos

Biopsy of human embryos for the preimplantation diagnosis of genetic disease

The use of growth factors to improve human embryo culture for in-vitro fertilisation

Assisted hatching of human IVF embryos

Partial zone dissection and sub zonal insemination for the alleviation of male infertility

A study of the mechanism for trisomy formation in man

Development of techniques and the establishing of a protocol for the microinsemination by injection of spermatozoa into the perivitelline space of oocytes

In-vitro studies of human oocytes after microinjection of spermatozoa

Growth and characterisation in-vitro of cells derived from early human conceptus

Growth requirements of the human preimplantation embryo in-vitro

In-vitro development and implantation of normal human pre-embryos and comparison with uni- or poly-nucleate pre-embryos

Evaluation of three different culture systems for human embryos

Effects of substances and procedures on the ability of human spermatozoa to penetrate zona-free hamster eggs

To measure the activity of metabolic enzymes in spare human preimplantation embryos

To measure the activity of enzymes implicated in genetic disorders

Sperm/oocyte interaction and fertilisation failure

Preimplementation genetic diagnosis parallel investigations

Development of sub zonal insemination. A technique to micro-inject sperm into oocytes as a treatment for male infertility

Micromanipulation of human gametes in the treatment of male factor infertility; comparison of partial zona dissection and sub zonal insemination

Use of co-cultures in human IVF

Release of lymphokines by the human embryo

In-vitro maturation and cryopreservation of human oocytes

Use of aged unfertilised oocytes to assess the fertilising ability of human spermatozoa

Investigation of the effects of immuno-modulatory factors on implantation in-vitro

Pre-implantation diagnosis of genetic disease

A study of fertilisation by micromanipulation

The use of human embryos to develop preimplantation diagnosis techniques

Preimplantation diagnosis of genetic disease

Development of micromanipulation-assisted IVF techniques for male factor infertility

The use of unfertilised human oocytes to assess the fertilising ability of human spermatozoa via ICSI

Comparison of ICSI and re-insemination for the fertilisation of 24 hour old unfertilised eggs

ICSI for the treatment of patients with severe male infertility

Cell biology of human spermatozoa