A Victory for Stem Cell Research

Ria Misra

Contributor

Posted:

07/7/09

The National Institutes of Health on Monday released new guidelines for embryonic stem cell research, opening up the field for existing lines of stem cells to make it into the lab. The president signed an executive order in March, ending the ban on federal funds for embryonic stem cell research and directing the NIH to come up with guidelines for their use. But, just how far the restrictions would be eased on embryonic stem cells -- the ones scientists believe are the most medically promising -- was uncertain. There was some concern among scientists that the new guidelines wouldn't go far enough to free up all the existing lines of embryonic stem cells. Now, though, it looks likely that the majority of existing stem cell lines will finally be made available to researchers.

Still controversial, embryonic stem cell research has been gaining in popularity. A recent Gallup Poll showed 52 percent of Americans supported an end to restrictions on research. Acting NIH Director Raynard Kington told The Washington Post that embryonic stem cell lines would be screened to meet ethical standards, including that donors were informed, no payment was exchanged and that the embryo was from an in-vitro fertilization procedure and set to be discarded.

The president has put his trust in science to not only answer research questions but also to perk up the economy, so test tube-ready stimulus projects are joining shovel-ready ones. The technology to go deeper into stem cell research has been there for awhile. What's been missing is regulation and government cash. With the new regulations in place and funding available, stem cell research finally looks poised to take off.