The guidelines call for the applications to be evaluated by a committee called the Human Pluripotent Stem Cell Review Group. Embryonic stem cells are called pluripotent because they have the ability to transform into any of the cells in the body. Many researchers believed these cells can be guided to grow tissue or special cells that could repair ailing hearts or other organs. Some scientists say the cells have the promise of curing diseases such as diabetes and Parkinson's. The stem cells come from human embryos, which are killed when the cells are removed.
Federal law bars the use of federal funds for human embryo research.
The NIH guidelines drawn up last year get around that restriction by allowing federal dollars to be spent on research with stem cells processed from embryos by privately funded laboratories. The guidelines say such cells can originate only from frozen embryos considered surplus by fertility clinics. Such embryos are usually discarded.