« Embryonic Stems Cells are 'Useless'? | Main | Bush Supports Pro-Life Legislation »

U.S. Stem Cell Lines are Contaminated

A "newly" found blow to researchers:

All human embryonic stem-cell lines approved for use in federally funded research are contaminated with a foreign molecule from mice that may make them risky for use in medical therapies, according to a study released. [more]

The finding is called a "setback" to the Bush administration policy and has been published in numerous other MSM articles as a surprise to researchers. However, consider the following article that was reported in Nov. 2004:

Stem cell research in the US is currently limited to 22 lines, following a policy introduced by President George W Bush in 2001. These lines were derived before August 2001 and all of the cells were grown on a scaffolding of mouse cells

The newly reported results are apparently nothing knew but rather are part of another campaign to pressure the Bush administration to federally fund ESC research beyond existing lines. Here is what the New Scientist published in the same Nov. 2004 article:

The finding reinforces calls by US stem cell researchers for their government to free up federal money to research fresh lines of human ESCs, grown on non-biological scaffolds.

Posted by tim at January 24, 2005 7:19 AM

Articles Related to Stem Cells: