the production of human embryonic stem cells from discarded embryos left over after IVF treatment (which would otherwise end up in the bin!) is an amazingly controversial topic in Germany. Essentially, throw the embryos away and you're fine, but use them for research that will one day save lives, and you go to jail. (Not trying to be polemic here, just making the legal situation clear!)
So, after a bloody battle fought back in 2001, there came the 2002 peace deal which allowed researchers to import stem cells from lines created before the 1.1.2002. By now, however, these cell lines are old and useless, so scientists are calling for a revision to the 2002 law. But will they succeed ?
Read my story in Current Biology or here: doi:10.1016/j.cub.2007.05.051