The Frequently Asked Questions have also been updated.

The following changes have been made from the June 2005 Guidelines:

• Provision 8.1.1.2 is no longer under review.
  The text remains unchanged from the June 2005 Guidelines.
  
  
• Provision 8.1.6.2 of the June 2005 Guidelines (7.1.6.2 of the March 2002 Guidelines) has been removed.
  It required evidence from prior studies in non-human species, that human pluripotent cells grafted into non-human animals were not likely to contribute to gametes. SCOC agreed that this was an impossible requirement for researchers to meet, since it required proof of a negative outcome. Since 8.1.6.3 required that the non-human animals grafted with human stem cells not be used for reproductive purposes, SCOC was satisfied that, in the unlikely event that the cells were to contribute to gametes, those gametes would not be used for reproductive purposes.
  
  
• The text of provision 8.3.1 of the June 2005 Guidelines has reverted to the text of 7.2.1 of the March 2002 Guidelines.
  The 2005 Guidelines reflected advice from Health Canada, including its view that requesting consent to the disposition of supernumerary embryos prior to initiation of an assisted human reproduction (AHR) procedure could be construed as deliberately producing embryos for reasons other than human reproduction. Discussion at the November meeting of SCOC, however, revealed that the specific reference in the "AHR Act" to the 2002 Guidelines likely means that changes by CIHR to the 2002 Guidelines would not constitute a legally valid change to the consent requirements of the "Act". Therefore, SCOC recommended that the text of 8.3.1 revert to the wording of 7.2.1, as written in the 2002 Guidelines.

Please note that the Guidelines will be updated on an annual basis, and will be posted in June. CIHR continues to work in close collaboration with Health Canada to ensure that the Guidelines are in harmony with the regulations that are being developed for the "Act". Should any change to the "Act" or its regulations require modifications of the Guidelines, outside of the annual update, these will be posted prominently on the CIHR website.

Should you require any additional information, please contact:
Lynne Cayer
Program Delivery Officer
Canadian Institutes of Health Research
Room 97, 160 Elgin Street
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0W9
E-mail: lcayer@cihr-irsc.gc.ca
Phone: (613) 952-4264
Fax: (613) 954-1800