How is human embryonic stem cell research affected by the current policies of the Bush administration?
Under administration policy, only stem cell lines created before August 9, 2001 can be studied using federal funds. Although it was originally claimed that more than 60 lines would meet this eligibility criterion, most researchers in the field consider this to be an overestimate. NIH currently lists only 22 lines that are available for distribution to researchers. These federally approved lines are limited in their utility for a variety of reasons, including lack of genetic diversity, chromosomal abnormalities, poor growth characteristics, exposure to – and potential contamination by – mouse feeder cells, and commercial restrictions. Therefore, if the therapeutic potential of embryonic stem cells is to be realized, researchers must also work with non-approved lines. This cannot be done using NIH funding (the main source of research funds for most academic labs in the US), and so private philanthropic support is essential to the future of this field.
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