NIH's final guidelines on stem cell research

As expected, the NIH published guidelines detailing the procedures researchers are expected to follow to ensure that NIH-funded human pluripotent stem cell research is conducted in what the agency described as "an ethical and legal manner," and to ensure that the "ethical, legal, and social issues relevant to human pluripotent stem cell research are addressed prior to NIH funding."

The guidelines, which were proposed last December, contained no real surprises, with the agency sticking to its earlier proposal to fund both the derivation and the use of stem cells obtained from fetal tissue, but not allowing government funds for the derivation of embryonic stem cells (see BioCentury, Dec. 6, 1999). ...