Research Stop

The Obama administration has quietly clamped a moratorium on a new type of stem-cell research, triggering a letter from a group of Stanford scientists condemning the move and saying that it could delay discoveries in a promising field of medicine.

The research -- which strives to grow human organs in animals, called "chimeras," after the hybrid creatures in Greek mythology -- could lead to an endless supply of organs for transplantation and improved drug testing, proponents say. But it also poses ethical and animal welfare concerns.

The abrupt suspension of federal funding for this research "impedes scientific progress in regenerative medicine and should be lifted," said a letter from the Stanford scientists published Thursday in the journal Science...

Full story at http://www.mercurynews.com/science/ci_29076320/human-animal-chimeras-stanford-scientists-condemn-funding-ban