NIH Approves Stem Cell Lines

NIH has approved 13 new human embryonic stem cell lines for use in federally funded research. The cell lines are the first to be approved under ethical guidelines adopted by NIH in July, following an executive order by President Barack Obama that lifted previous restrictions on federally funded stem cell research. "The 13 lines represent the first in what is going to be a series of ongoing waves of approvals," NIH Director Francis S. Collins noted during a briefing. Another 96 lines are currently being reviewed by NIH, 20 of which are being looked at by an external group of experts because they were derived using slightly different informed-consent processes than those outlined in the NIH ethical guidelines. More than 100 additional lines will likely be submitted for review, Collins predicted. NIH recently awarded $21 million worth of stem cell research grants that have been waiting for the first cell lines to be approved, and the agency expects to fund more stem cell research early next year.