The European Commission yesterday took a step toward resolving its policy on the funding of stem cell research. Currently, funding of such research within the Sixth Framework Programme is banned. Angelo Vescovi, a pioneer stem cell researcher from the Stem Cell Research Institute of Milan, Italy, was among those urging the Commission to decide soon if and how it intends to lift the ban. "Time is of the essence," he said, "especially for those who can't wait for a cure."
Vescovi was speaking at a seminar in Brussels arranged to discuss a report released earlier this month summarizing the ethical and legislative issues facing the European Union and Commission. Among these are how the rights of an embryo should be weighed against the rights of a person suffering from disease, the suitability of alternative sources of human stem cell for research, and the validity of exploiting them in various ways.
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