Fertility clinics typically discard extra embryos after couples have conceived as many children as they want. The rules, which make official NIH proposals unveiled last year, prohibit payments for embryos in order to avoid enticing people to create embryos specifically for research. In addition, government scientists would not be able to mine the cells from the embryos. That would be left to private firms to avoid the delicate issue of using taxpayer money on what abortion opponents call destruction of a human life. Stem-cell research has sparked contentious debate in Congress.
Stem cells can develop into muscle, nerve, heart, blood and other cells.
Scientists hope the cells can generate tissue for transplants or other treatments for diseases. Stem-cell research also may improve the understanding of human development and diseases and change drug development, the NIH said. However, opponents such as Brownback point to research reported last week that adult bone marrow cells can be turned into what appear to be nerve cells as evidence that research on embryonic stem cells is unnecessary. Copyright 2000 Reuters. All rights reserved.