Stem Cell Ruling from the Court of Appeals

In a 2-1 decision issued by a Federal Appeals Court, the preliminary injunction blocking federal funding of human embryonic stem cell research was lifted, allowing NIH funding for such research to continue. A trial on the merits of the case is still possible, as are further appeals by opponents of human embryonic stem cell research. The opinion is available here. "I am delighted and relieved to learn of the decision of the Court of Appeals. This is a momentous day – not only for science, but for the hopes of thousands of patients and their families who are relying on NIH-funded scientists to pursue life-saving discoveries and therapies that could come from stem cell research," said Francis S. Collins, MD, PhD, Director, National Institutes of Health.