A federal court decision has blocked a White House policy allowing more embryonic stem cell research, a change that research advocates say will postpone long-awaited breakthroughs.
The ruling by chief judge Royce Lamberth of Federal District Court for the District of Columbia, granted a temporary injunction rescinding a 2009 executive order by President Obama loosening constraints on the research, saying that the president had violated a ban on federal money being used to destroy embryos.
Obama’s order had let federally funded scientists research 75 stem cell lines created with private money, compared with 21 allowed under President Bush. It is not clear, however, if the injunction means that work financed under the Obama standard had to cease immediately or merely that future grants must apply the old standard.
Health institutes officials tell The New York Times that the Justice Department would interpret the ruling for them; a Justice spokeswoman tells the times that agency lawyers were reviewing the decision.
Research into cures and treatments for diseases such as diabetes and Parkinson’s will have to wait, though the delay may be temporary, said the New York Stem Cell Foundation in a press statement.
“Although we are confident that the court’s decision will not be upheld, the net effect of this decision is to slow the progress of advancing revolutionary new therapies that have the potential to advance cures and successful treatments for a broad range of the diseases and conditions, including diabetes.”
Lisa Hughes of the Coalition for the Advancement of Medical Research called the ruling “a blow to the hopes of millions of patients and their families suffering from fatal and chronic diseases and disorders.”
But she too expressed hope for a judicial remedy. ”We have full confidence that the extensive, deliberative process that shaped federal guidelines now in place will be upheld upon further review,” she said.
Source: http://diabetesnewshound.com/type1/curtails-stem-cell/
