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National Institutes of Health Releases Draft Of Stem Cell Guidelines
By JOHN P. CONNOLLY, The Bulletin
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) released a draft of its guidelines for regulating embryonic stem cell research last week, opting to allow only embryos rejected from fertility clinics for use in publicly-funded experiments.
The guidelines, which exclude embryos created specifically for experimentation, will be available for public comment for the next month. The final rules for experimentation are due in July.
“We think this will be a huge boost for the science,” said Acting NIH Director Raynard Kington. “This was the right policy for the agency at this point in time.”
President Barack Obama removed executive orders prohibiting funding for stem cell research on embryos last month. Mr. Obama touted strict guidelines for the research as a way to placate critics of experimentation on human life.
The guidelines are “a reasonable compromise based on where the science stands now,” said Dr. Sean Morrison, director of the University of Michigan Center for Stem Cell Biology. “We may need to revisit some of the details down the road depending on how the science develops.”
Scientists are trying to harness embryonic stem cells — master cells that can morph into any cell in the body. It is hoped these could one day treat or cure a range of diseases and injuries.
Gathering embryonic stem cells destroy a days-old embryo, a result strongly opposed by many on moral and ethical grounds. Many people opposed to embryonic stem cell research advocate stem cell research with adult stem cells. The Bush administration limited taxpayer-supported research to a small number of embryonic stem cell groups created before August 2001.
Last month, Mr. Obama lifted that restriction, widening the field. But he left it to the NIH to set ethics guidelines determining which cell lines now will qualify for government funding. Federal law forbids using taxpayer money to create or destroy an embryo. At issue here are rules for working with cells that initially were created using private money.
The new guidelines require the woman or couple who donate the original embryo for experiment give proper informed consent. The donation must be voluntary, without pressure from scientists. The guidelines also clearly forbid some types of research using human embryonic stem cells, such as mixing them with embryos from monkeys and other primates.
John P. Connolly can be reached at jconnolly@thebulletin.us
The guidelines, which exclude embryos created specifically for experimentation, will be available for public comment for the next month. The final rules for experimentation are due in July.
“We think this will be a huge boost for the science,” said Acting NIH Director Raynard Kington. “This was the right policy for the agency at this point in time.”
President Barack Obama removed executive orders prohibiting funding for stem cell research on embryos last month. Mr. Obama touted strict guidelines for the research as a way to placate critics of experimentation on human life.
The guidelines are “a reasonable compromise based on where the science stands now,” said Dr. Sean Morrison, director of the University of Michigan Center for Stem Cell Biology. “We may need to revisit some of the details down the road depending on how the science develops.”
Scientists are trying to harness embryonic stem cells — master cells that can morph into any cell in the body. It is hoped these could one day treat or cure a range of diseases and injuries.
Gathering embryonic stem cells destroy a days-old embryo, a result strongly opposed by many on moral and ethical grounds. Many people opposed to embryonic stem cell research advocate stem cell research with adult stem cells. The Bush administration limited taxpayer-supported research to a small number of embryonic stem cell groups created before August 2001.
Last month, Mr. Obama lifted that restriction, widening the field. But he left it to the NIH to set ethics guidelines determining which cell lines now will qualify for government funding. Federal law forbids using taxpayer money to create or destroy an embryo. At issue here are rules for working with cells that initially were created using private money.
The new guidelines require the woman or couple who donate the original embryo for experiment give proper informed consent. The donation must be voluntary, without pressure from scientists. The guidelines also clearly forbid some types of research using human embryonic stem cells, such as mixing them with embryos from monkeys and other primates.
John P. Connolly can be reached at jconnolly@thebulletin.us
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