What is the current federal policy on embryonic stem cell research?
On March 9, 2009, President Barack Obama lifted the restrictions on federal funding for embryonic stem cell research imposed by President George W. Bush. Prior to President Obama’s Executive Order, only the embryonic stem cell lines in existence before August 9, 2001 were eligible for federal research funding. On July 9, 2009, the National Institutes of Health published its guidelines for the use of stem cells in extramural NIH-funded stem cell research. These established a procedure and policy for the NIH funding of this research intended to ensure responsible and ethical use of all cell lines, including human embryonic stem cells. As a result of this policy change, forty human embryonic stem cell lines have been approved for use in federally-funded research as of December 15, 2009. Federal research funding is important to all basic scientific research, such as stem cell research. Private investors are reluctant to invest in research that is not likely to produce a profit in the short
