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Isn't it just great having this defective excuse for a human being deciding the direction science will take.? Don't have to think, do you? Ray NIH plans to implement presidental stem cell Executive Order 8 October 2007 | By Dr Maria Adams | News story Last month the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) published its plan to implement an Executive Order from President Bush to explore methods to expand the number of approved pluripotent stem cell lines 'without creating a human embryo for research purposes or destroying, discarding, or subjecting to harm a human embryo or fetus' (see press release). Under the plan, NIH intends to change the name of its 'Human Embryonic Stem Cell Registry' to the 'Human Pluripotent Stem Cell Registry'. It will also prioritise the development of funding opportunities for research on human pluripotent stem cells derived from non-embryonic sources, such as somatic cells, and cells from amniotic fluid. The plan also calls for an assessment of possible alternative sources of stem cells including , so-called, 'dead' embryos (which are created during IVF but stop dividing and so are unsuitable for implantation), altered nuclear transfer (ANT), single cell embryo biopsy (in which a single cell is removed from a pre-implantation embryo), and reprogramming (dedifferentiation) of somatic cells. Although many of these alternative approaches show promise they are, as yet, unproven. To address this issue, NIH intends to undertake a comprehensive analysis of the research that it funds in these areas, convening a state-of-the-science workshop to identify the outstanding scientific questions and to ensure that all its research using these techniques is consistent with the Executive Order as well as with existing federal law and policy. Also planned is a symposium to explore the current state of basic and clinical research into pluripotent stem cell biology with the aim of helping to prioritize research according to clinical potential. Despite surveys suggesting that a majority of Americans support expanded stem-cell research, President Bush has personally and repeatedly blocked government-approved legislation to increase state funding for studies using embryonic stem cells (see previous news). Developing techniques that do not harm human embryos should bypass ethical objections to this type of research, although it is by no means certain that these unproven methodologies will prove successful. Meanwhile, Democrat presidential candidate Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton has recently said that, if elected, she would issue an Executive Order rescinding President Bush's restrictions on federal funding for embryonic stem cell research (see AP news). She has also said that she favours a return to 'evidence-based decision-making' and would prevent political appointees from altering or removing scientific conclusions from government research without legitimate reason. Rayilyn Brown Board Member AZNPF Arizona Chapter National Parkinson's Foundation [log in to unmask] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn