Washington D.C., Apr 20, 2009 / 20:48 pm
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) on Friday announced its request for public comment on draft guidelines concerning human embryonic stem cell research. One pro-life congressman warned that the proposal could lead to “clone and kill” cell harvesting, and that the research cheapens human life.
According to the NIH, the guidelines are to implement President Barack Obama’s March 9 Executive Order 13505, which lifted restrictions on the federal funding of human 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 announcement states. “Funding will continue to be allowed for human stem cell research using adult stem cells and induced pluripotent stem cells.”
The guidelines describe the conditions and informed consent procedures required during the production of human embryonic stem cells for research. The stated purpose of the guidelines is to help ensure that NIH-funded research is “ethically responsible, scientifically worthy, and conducted in accordance with applicable law.”
The NIH says that funding will not be provided to researchers who use embryos created for research purposes. The agency adds that somatic cell nuclear transfer (cloning) will not be allowed under the guidelines.