Embryo Research and its Monitoring

Scientific research in general and embryo and genetic research in particular  is no longer a field for individual endeavours by scholars,  it is rather a field that invests in the interest of the society(24). In population based embryo research, there are responsibilities for planning and follow up to ensure obedience by scientific integrity, ethical guidelines and quality control of the research. These are the responsibilities of the researchers, the research institution, the ethics review committees, the government authorities and the editors of medical journals.

1- The researchers : The primary and ultimate responsibility of embryo research is that of the researcher who should be as a part of his/her training made aware of, and sensitive to, the ethical imperatives in research. No embryo research protocol is complete or acceptable if it does not discuss the ethical aspects of the study.

2- The research institution where the research is conducted by its staff.

3- The ethics review committee for scientific research at the institute or university where the research is conducted. The committee acts as a gathering of the investigators' peers to provide advice on ethical aspects of the study and to approve or disapprove it on behalf of the institution.  The membership of this committee may include other health professionals particularly nurses, people qualified to represent the community's cultural and moral values, ethicists, theologians and possibly lawyers.

4- Government authorities as national drug regulatory agency or funding agencies and organizations. No research proposal should be funded by a national or international agency unless it has clearly outlined the ethical aspects of the study.

5- Editors of medical journals : Reports of research not complying with ethical standards should not be accepted for publication. All academic problems can be prevented to a great extent by academic journals' editors who can play a major role in this regard by thoroughly screening articles submitted for publication to establish their quality and originality.