buylotrogold

. MEDICAL: RESEARCH : BIOLOGY: RESEARCH : UNITED STATES: GOVERNMMENT: What Obama's Executive Order on Stem Cells Means What Obama's Executive Order on Stem Cells Means By Karen Kaplan March 10, 2009 Los Angeles Times <http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/asection/ la-na-obama-stem-cell-qanda10-2009mar10,0,6387848.story A shorter URL for the above _link_: <http://tinyurl.com/dfynq4 With the stroke of a pen, President Obama cleared the way Monday for the National Institutes of Health and other federal agencies to fund research using all kinds of human embryonic stem cells. Scientists believe these tiny cells may have the potential to help us understand, and possibly cure, some of our most devastating diseases and conditions, Obama said at the signing ceremony. Obama's executive order removes funding restrictions put in place by President George W. Bush and fulfills an oft-repeated campaign promise. Scientists, patient advocacy groups and politicians on both sides of the aisle praised the action. What exactly has changed? Bush was the first to allow scientists to study human embryonic stem cells with federal funds. But he personally opposed the research on moral grounds because the cells can't be made without dismantling human embryos. To discourage the destruction of additional embryos, he limited federal funding to cell lines that had already been made by August 2001, when his policy went into effect. Obama's executive order removes that restriction, making hundreds of newer lines eligible for NIH funding. OTHER QUESTIONS ANSWERED IN THIS ARTICLE: What does this mean for scientists? Haven't scientists made embryonic stem cells without using embryos? Can federal funds be used to make new human embryonic stem cell lines? Are there any other restrictions? What sorts of things will the NIH consider? Isn't that cloning? When will they get it? Does this mean there's no need for Congress to act? Will California keep spending its $3 billion on stem cell research?