Each university member is expected to report actual or suspected violations of laws, regulations, VCU policies and procedures or other misconduct. Management has a special duty to recognize and report violations.

VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH UNIVERSITY

EMBRYONIC STEM CELL RESEARCH

VCU is currently engaged in research in the field of regenerative medicine (e.g., organ transplantation, tissue repair, tissue and organ replacement with synthetic materials).  Part of this research involves the use of embryonic stem cell lines.  The embryonic stem cell lines are those which President Bush approved in 2001 for use in federally supported research.  The cell lines approved by President Bush were developed from embryos originally obtained for use in the in vitro fertilization process and were subsequently offered for use in research when the embryos were no longer needed for reproductive purposes and only after the donors consented to such use.  Stem cell lines, once created, are expanded to great numbers in incubators, then frozen into many small samples that can be unfrozen as needed over a period of years.

The embryonic material in use at VCU was obtained from embryos created prior to President Bush's announcement in 2001.

Neither federal law or regulations prohibit embryonic stem cell research.  Federal approval of an embryonic stem cell line simply makes seeking federal funding an option for such research.

March 30, 2006