By Timo Faltus, Dipl.-Biol., Dipl.-Jur.

Research with all kinds of stem cells, including embryonic and induced pluripotent stem cells, is permissible in Germany. The destructive use of early embryos to yield stem cells is not allowed in Germany, but the import of human embryonic stem cells from abroad is permissible. However, a new decision of Germany’s Federal Supreme Court, which now allows discarding certain PGD embryos, sheds new light on Germany’s stem cell law. The discovery of iPSCs coincided with the latest amendment of Germany’s stem cell law and could have been almost a reason to legally cancel further research with embryonic stem cells in Germany.