Washington  - Only those fated for destruction are usable

By LAURAN NEERGAARD
Associated Press

WASHINGTON -- When President Barack Obama eased limits on federally funded embryonic stem-cell research, the big question became how far scientists could go. Friday, the government answered: They must use cells culled from fertility-clinic embryos that otherwise would be thrown away.

Draft guidelines released by the National Institutes of Health reflect rules with broad congressional support, excluding more-controversial sources such as cells derived from embryos created just for experiments.

"We think this will be a huge boost for the science," Acting NIH Director Raynard Kington said. "This was the right policy for the agency at this point in time."

Rep. Mike Castle, R-Del., who has long advocated stem-cell research and twice saw legislation he supported vetoed by President Bush, called the guidelines a good start. He and Rep. Diana DeGette, D-Colo., authored pending legislation that would create an ethical framework for the research.

"After many years under a stifled policy, we are on our way to promoting increased federal support for embryonic stem-cell research," Castle said in a statement. "I am pleased to see the NIH has moved quickly to draft the guidelines ... however, I believe there is opportunity for more expansive guidelines. Rep. DeGette and I have been working to develop legislative options to promote all ethical forms of stem-cell research. I look forward to providing input during the comment period, and continuing to advance federal policy which is both responsible and supportive of scientific inquiry."

But the limit will disappoint some researchers who had hoped to use a broader variety of cells.

Scientists are trying to harness embryonic stem cells -- master cells that can morph into any cell of the body -- to one day create replacement tissues and better treat, possibly even cure, ailments ranging from diabetes to Parkinson's to spinal-cord injury.

Those cells can propagate indefinitely in lab dishes, but initially culling them does destroy a days-old embryo, a result opposed by many on moral grounds. The Bush administration had limited taxpayer-supported research to a handful of embryonic stem-cell "lines" or groups, a policy the NIH said was slowing the pace of potentially groundbreaking science.

Obama last month ended the Bush limit and widened the field -- but he left it to the NIH to set ethics guidelines determining which cell lines now will qualify for government funding.

Many scientists had hoped that the guidelines would allow use of stem cells derived from embryos created just for science, perhaps even those created using cloning techniques that could make them genetically customized for a potential recipient. Some existing stem-cell guidelines that are used in privately funded research -- including guidelines from the National Academy of Sciences -- are open to all types.

The NIH proposed limiting new grants to research that uses stem cells originally derived from fertility-clinic leftovers, the extra embryos that couples wind up not needing and thus often are thrown out.

That's in line with legislation passed by the last Congress but never signed by then-President George W. Bush.

The guidelines also demand that the woman or couple who donate the original embryo give proper informed consent. There are other options for such donors, such as donating the embryo to another infertile woman. All must be explained.

The guidelines also forbid some types of research using human embryonic stem cells -- such as mixing them with embryos from monkeys and other primates.