Obama urged to restore stem cell funding

NEW YORK, Nov. 25 (UPI) -- Stem cells scientists are pressing U.S. President-elect Barack Obama to restore federal funding to their work with embryos in his first 100 days in office.

The International Society for Stem Cell Research, which represents the world's leading stem cell scientists, wants Obama to follow through on a campaign promise to restore funding for embryo research, The Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday.

Since 1996, federal law has banned the use of federal funds to create or destroy human embryos solely for research. In 2001, President George Bush eased the restriction a little by letting government money be used for research on existing stem cell lines. The research is controversial because many people believe destroying an embryo destroys a life, the newspaper said.

The biopharmaceutical industry has remained hesitant about investments in such research, said Mary Hendrix, a stem cell scientist at Northwestern University.

"An executive order (from Obama) would give the signal that it's acceptable" to work in this field, Hendrix told the Journal.