Word: stem
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Researchers at Newcastle University in England report they have coaxed the first human sperm cells from embryonic stem cells, in a remarkable demonstration of how quickly the field of stem-cell science is moving...
...They will be exercising judgment, and considering whether the principles of voluntary informed consent were followed, even if the step-by-step procedures currently required were not followed in the derivation of that stem-cell line," said Kington...
...clear exactly what criteria the working group will use to determine eligibility. But it's possible that stem-cell lines could be excluded from federal funding if, for example, the embryo donors had not been made aware that their embryos would be used for stem-cell research, or if they had given consent for their embryos to be studied only for a specific period of time. If those embryos had been used to generate stem cells, which can theoretically survive indefinitely in a lab dish, the donors may not have technically approved that research...
...know there is strong sentiment in this country for supporting federal funding of research involving cell lines from embryos created for reproductive purposes that otherwise would be destroyed," said Kington. "We don't believe there has been public discussion yet of the ethical guidelines regarding alternative sources of embryonic stem cells. We will reconsider the guidelines as science evolves, and as the public discussion over the ethical principles evolves...
...speed with which stem-cell advances in recent years have been made is any indication, those revisions may be on the horizon very soon. "These NIH guidelines represent a reasonable compromise, based on where the science stands today," says Dr. Sean Morrison, director of the Center for Stem Cell Biology at the University of Michigan. "But this field is evolving at an incredibly rapid pace, and it may be necessary, down the road, to revisit some of the elements on this policy as the science evolves...