U.S. Stem Cell Policy Changed

February 19th, 2010

Stem cell policy for the U.S. got tweaked a bit this week according to NewsDaily. The new changes should help qualify more corporate and scientific researches. The changes are described as “technical”, and don’t delve into the ethical policies that have been imposed, however. The basic overview of the change is that they have broadened the definition of a human embryonic stem cell.

Dr. Lana Skirboll, director of the Office of Science Policy of the National Institutes of Health, called the change technical and said it would be posted in the federal register for comment.

“We are making what I think is a relatively small technical change to the definition of human embryonic stem cells,” Skirboll said in a telephone interview.

“This changes none of the ethical requirements in the guidelines.”

U.S. President Barack Obama (Yeah…he does some good things.) lifted some restrictions on the federal funding of human embryonic stem cell research soon after he took office last year but the NIH imposed strict ethical requirements and a review process for funding.

The details are a bit fuzzy so far until you can see it on the register, but at least we are moving a little bit in the right direction. Now only if best testosterone creams could garner more study .