NIH approves use of embryonic stem cells

WASHINGTON, Dec. 2 (UPI) -- The U.S. National Institutes of Health announced approval Wednesday of the use of human embryonic stem cells in NIH-funded research.

NIH Director Francis Collins announced the decision approving use of the first 13 human embryonic stem cell lines under the NIH Guidelines for Human Stem Cell Research.

"I am happy to say that we now have human embryonic stem cell lines eligible for use by our research community under our new stem cell policy," Collins said. "In accordance with the guidelines, these stem cell lines were derived from embryos that were donated under ethically sound informed consent processes. More lines are under review now, and we anticipate continuing to expand this list of responsibly derived lines eligible for NIH funding."

Researchers said they hope that eventually cells differentiated from the human embryonic stem cells might be used to treat a myriad of diseases, conditions and disabilities and to test the safety of new drugs in the laboratory.

President Obama earlier this year issued an executive order allowing the Secretary of Health and Human Services, through the NIH, to support and conduct responsible, scientifically worthy human stem cell research, including human embryonic stem cell research.

President George W. Bush in 2001 prohibited federally funded research involving human embryonic stem cells, except for a small group of stem cell lines created before August 2001. Obama's order reverses that decision.