Embryonic stem cell research faces numerous challenges, including hype about its medical potential and legal roadblocks erected by opponents.Until Monday, there was a third obstacle: restrictive patents that forced scientists to establish licensing agreements before working with embryonic stem cells.
Starting in 1998, the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation has maintained patent claims on both the method used to isolate embryonic stem cells and the cells themselves. The foundation, known as WARF in scientific circles, secured these patents after a University of Wisconsin researcher was the first to successfully isolate these cells in 1998