Stem Cell Guidelines Officially In Place

New guidelines for federal funding of stem cell research in the USA, including research using embryonic stem cells, went into effect Tuesday July 7th, following release of a final draft of the guidelines by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Jim Greenwood, president and CEO of the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) released very favourable comments commending the NIH for taking steps that would aid the development of cures and treatments for a number of debilitating diseases and injuries. In a press release distributed Tuesday, BIO takes the position that both adult and embryonic stem cells are invaluable tools for biotech research and that this move will allow American companies to aggressively pursue the kind of research that may change the lives of people affected by diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.