WASHINGTON (dpa) – A top U.S. official has acknowledged that many of the stem cell lines approved for U.S. government funding are not ready for research.
Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson told the U.S. Senate Wednesday that many of the 64 stem cell lines approved by President George W. Bush are in earlier stages of development.
Senator Arlen Specter, from the state of Pennsylvania, criticized President Bush’s policy, saying he would support legislation to lift the restrictions.
Mr. Bush announced a new policy on stem cell research last month, allowing federal funding only for research that uses existing stem cell lines. The decision angered some researchers who believe that limiting funding could hinder efforts to find cures for major diseases.
Stem cell research is controversial because human embryos must be destroyed to obtain the cells. But scientists believe stem cell research holds great potential because the cells are self-replicating and can be guided to form new cells that could perform hundreds of tasks in the human body.
Secretary Thompson also said Wednesday that the Bush Administration has reached an agreement with the University of Wisconsin, which holds the patent on the method for isolating stem cells, that will allow researchers outside the university to work with the cells.
