University of Michigan stem cell scientist Sean Morrison recently got a telephone call from a woman offering to donate her leftover embryos from a fertilization procedure for his studies on Parkinsonâ??s disease. What she didnâ??t know was that Michigan law prohibits research on human embryos. Morrison suggested that the woman contact a lab in another state.
Next door in Illinois, Gov. Rod Blagojevich (D) is promoting embryonic stem cell research in an effort to lure scientists and investors, in some cases from neighboring states. In 2005, Blagojevich sent a letter urging Missouriâ??s top scientists to move to Illinois rather than work under a cloud created by Missouri legislatorsâ?? ultimately unsuccessful efforts to ban research on human embryos.