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    It’s the federal research that is the big opportunity, that’s where the big dollars are. And to have these avenues to federal resources closed is going to hurt us in the long run. — Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, Houston Chronicle – August 22, 2004

  • Orrin Hatch

    Read a moving account of Senator Hatch’s long and inspiring search concerning his decision to support stem cell research from his book, Square Peg.

  • Yvonne Perry

    The "Right to Recover" by Yvonne Perry highlights TAMR's accomplishments in Texas. Click hear to read the excerpt and to listen to the companion song.

What is the Role of In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) in Producing Stem Cells?

  • Scientists acquire embryonic stem cells from two sources – eggs from In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) and Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer (SCNT), a laboratory procedure that does not involve a fertilized egg.
  • IVF has been used for more than 25 years to treat millions for infertility.
  • When couples undergo IVF, more fertilized eggs are produced than are needed. The couple only uses a few fertilized eggs.
  • It is estimated there are currently over 400,000 frozen fertilized eggs at in vitro fertilization clinics, many of which are excess or imperfect (they will never be implanted in a uterus.)
  • Scientists access these extra frozen eggs only with the voluntary consent of the couple. Embryo donors have five choices for the left over frozen embryos.
    1. The donors may keep them to have more children later.
    2. The donors may donate embryos to other couples who are unable to use their own sperm and egg for IVF to implant donated embryos to help others have children. Polls and actual donations of embryos for this kind of use have resulted in very few donations/pregnancies, primarily because most donors do not want strangers raising their children.
    3. The donors may agree to have the excess embryos used for research. 60% of couples with IVF embryos are willing to donate their frozen embryos for stem cell research according to “The Donors Have Spoken” (Newsweek web exclusive: June 20, 2007.)
    4. The donors may decide to have the frozen embryos disposed of as medical waste.
    5. The donors may continue to pay for maintaining the embryos in a frozen state (an option that is economically impossible for most couples, and ultimately will be abandoned by future generations)
  • Embryonic stem cell lines are often developed from leftover fertilized eggs at in vitro fertilization clinics.
  • How are stem cells derived from IVF eggs? After about five days in a Petri dish, the fertilized egg divides, producing about 100-200 stem cells. This cell mass is called a blastocyst. Scientists then add cell proteins and growth factors to the stem cells to transform them into specialized cell types.
  • The 100-200 blastocyst cells are undifferentiated, each identical, and each with the potential to become any cell type in the human body. The stem cells remain in a Petri dish and are never implanted into a uterus.

Frequently Asked Questions