US issues rules on embryonic stem cell research

0 Comments | AFP, April, 2009

WASHINGTON (AFP) — The US government Friday unveiled guidelines for publicly-funded embryonic stem cell research limiting it to embryos developed in test tubes for would-be parents but never used.

The draft guidelines, issued by the National Institutes of Health, came in response to President Barack Obama's executive order on March 9 lifting a ban on embryonic stem cell research.

"These draft guidelines would allow funding for research using human embryonic stem cells that were derived from embryos created by in vitro fertilization (IVF) for reproductive purposes and were no longer needed for that purpose," the NIH said.

"NIH funding for research using human embryonic stem cells derived from other sources, including somatic cell nuclear transfer, parthenogenesis,...