[Stitcher]

Some Restrictions Lifted on Stem Cell Research

New York Times, By GARDINER HARRIS
Published: April 17, 2009
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/18/health/18stem.html

WASHINGTON — The Obama Administration announced Friday that it planned to lift some — but not all — of the financing restrictions on human embryonic stem cell research in place during the Bush administration, a move that will please many but not all scientists.

The proposed guideline, which the administration plans to finalize by July 7, would allow research only on stem cells derived from surplus embryos at fertility clinics. Federal financing could still not be used to support the creation of embryos solely for the purposes of research or embryos created by therapeutic cloning.

Such restrictions, some scientists believe, could limit research into the creation of genetically matched organs for transplantation. And in an odd twist, the guideline’s requirements that donors be told what might happen to their embryos during research may make ineligible for future federal financing some of the older stem cell lines that President Bush had approved.


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[bandido1]

Carolyn: FYI Our Texas Legislature is reportedly considering a bill to ban all embryonic stem cell testing in the state.