University presidents urge stem cell funding
Over 100 presidents of U.S. universities have signed a letter urging President Bush to allow NIH to fund research using embryonic stem cells. Copies of the letter were sent to Vice President Cheney, Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Thompson and members of Congress.
The Association of American Universities, the American Council on Education, and the National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges drafted the March 26 letter. It expresses confidence that NIH "will ensure that this research is conducted in an ethical manner." The letter also cites another letter sent to Bush by a group of Nobel laureates refuting the contention that stem cells derived from adult tissues have the same research and therapeutic potential as embryonic stem cells (see BioCentury Extra, February 22, 2001). ...