During the three weeks after President George W. Bush announced limited federal funding for human ESC research Aug. 9, NIH officials held virtually nonstop discussions, in person and by telephone, with the 10 potential stem cell line suppliers. To be eligible for federal funding, Bush said ESC lines had to be derived with informed consent of donors, from excess embryos created solely for reproductive purposes, without any financial inducements to the donors, and had been created prior to the time of his announcement.
Many scientists have been skeptical over the quality of the cells, especially following reports that up to half of the 64 lines may not be developed sufficiently for research. During a Sept. 5 Senate hearing, Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson acknowledged that some of these lines "are in the earliest stages of development," but he stressed their usefulness can only be determined through actual research. ...
