Ethical problems of research on medical-assisted reproduction

Research in the field of assisted reproduction technologies (ART) is today very active internationally and is aimed both at improving success chances of already consolidated techniques (in fact these chances are still considerably low), and at elaborating new methods like ICSI (intracytoplasmic sperm injection), oocyte cryoconservation, ovary tissue cultures. Some other techniques, connected to ART, are here considered, like preimplantation diagnosis, early sex determination, gene therapy in utero and cloning. All these subjects of research are here briefly mentioned in relation to the ethical debate which they have stirred or which they should stir according to the authors. These debates are in part mirrored in the different legislations.