Welcome to Lab Dish, a First Opinion column on regenerative medicine from Paul Knoepfler.
Twenty years ago, the use of human embryonic stem cells in research was among the most fiercely debated topics at the always-crowded intersection of science and politics. As part of that, President George W. Bush restricted such research funding to existing hESC lines. President Barack Obama later relaxed those limits, but for a short period in 2010 hESC funding was blocked by a court injunction. Since then, even during President Trump’s first term, important hESC research funding has continued.
Now, there appears to be a more serious threat that all federal hESC research funding may end for years. A group of U.S. senators and representatives recently sent a misleading letter to Trump urging him to implement such a ban.
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