It is the moment some scientists have been waiting for. Monday, President Barack Obama is expected to overturn an 8-year limit on federal funding for embryonic stem cell research.
These so-called master cells can turn into any type of cell in the body. Scientists believe their exploration and manipulation will lead to treatments for diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, and spinal cord injuries.
Researchers say the limits slowed progress of discoveries.
“The situation became so absurd,” said Professor Ronald Kalil at the UW School of Medicine,” That if you were working with these lines in a lab in which you had equipment that was funded by the federal government, you couldn’t use that equipment to look at the cells. In some cases, people just picked up and they went off campus.”