With the stroke of a pen, President Obama cleared the way Monday for the National Institutes of Health and other federal agencies to fund research using all kinds of human embryonic stem cells.
"Scientists believe these tiny cells may have the potential to help us understand, and possibly cure, some of our most devastating diseases and conditions," Obama said at the signing ceremony.
Obama's executive order removes funding restrictions put in place by President George W. Bush and fulfills an oft-repeated campaign promise. Scientists, patient advocacy groups and politicians on both sides of the aisle praised the action.
What exactly has changed?
Bush was the first to allow scientists to study human embryonic stem cells with federal funds. But he personally opposed the research on moral grounds because the cells can't be made without dismantling human embryos. To discourage the destruction of additional embryos, he limited federal funding to cell lines that had already been made by August 2001, when his policy went into effect.
Obama's executive order removes that restriction, making hundreds of newer lines eligible for NIH funding.
What does this mean for scientists?
Scientists are eager to get their hands on the newer lines, which are healthier and easier to use than the 20 or so that currently qualify for federal funding. Some of the newer lines have genetic fingerprints of particular diseases and could be used to test drugs and other potential therapies.
The policy will also eliminate the red tape that prompted NIH-funded scientists to set up duplicate labs so they could work on human embryonic stem cells with money from state and private sources.
"They'll be able to stop worrying whether this microscope or that microscope is used for studies which are NIH-compatible," said Alan Trounson, president of the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine in San Francisco.
Haven't scientists made embryonic stem cells without using embryos?
Not exactly. The hottest area of stem cell research involves reprogramming adult cells so they behave almost exactly like embryonic stem cells. But there are still many technical issues to resolve before these cells would be safe to use in patients. So scientists say it is important to continue studying human embryonic stem cells, which can grow into any type of cell in the body.
Can federal funds be used to make new human embryonic stem cell lines?
