Public attitudes in Japan toward the creation and use of gametes derived from human-induced pluripotent stem cells

Abstract

[Aim:] To ascertain to what extent the Japanese general public accept the creation and use of in vitro derived (IVD)-gametes derived from human-induced pluripotent stem cells. [Materials & methods:] We conducted an online survey and obtained answers from 3096 respondents. [Results:] 78.6% of the respondents answered that they would accept the creation and use of IVD-gametes for research purposes, 51.7% answered that they would accept the creation and use of embryos with IVD-gametes for research purposes, and 25.9% answered that they would accept childbirth using embryos with IVD-gametes. [Discussion:] The results that approximately half of the respondents answered that they would accept the creation of embryos with IVD-gametes, which has not been allowed in the current Japanese research guidelines, is astonishing.