NIH May Ease Some, But Not All, Stem Cell Restrictions

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Stem cell research received a big boost in January, when the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the first-ever human trial using embryonic stem cells as a medical treatment. Geron Corp., a California-based biotech company, was given the OK to implant embryonic stem cells in eight to 10 paraplegic patients who can use their arms but can't walk.

In 2001, then-President Bush limited federal funding for stem cell research only to human embryonic stem cell lines that already existed. The decision prompted some scientists to worry that the United States would fall behind other countries in the drive to unlock the potential of stem cell research.

National polls continue to find that the majority of Americans favor embryonic stem cell research, although some surveys have found that that support has declined somewhat in recent years.

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Many people object to the use of embryonic stem cells, contending that the research requires the destruction of potential life, because the cells must be extracted from human embryos.

Since the restrictions on embryonic stem cell research took effect in 2001, many research institutions have redirected their focus to other types of stem cells, such as adult stem cells.

Adult stem cells can give rise to all the specialized types of cells found in tissue from which they originated, such as skin. But, scientists don't agree on whether adult stem cells may yield cell types other than those of the tissue from which they originate, according to the NIH.

More information

To learn more about stem cells, visit the U.S. National Institutes of Health.

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