NIH Director Francis Collins has added two more lines of human embryonic stem cells to its Registry, bringing the current total to 93 lines approved for federal funding.
Approval for listing in the NIH registry allows federal taxpayer funds to be used for experiments with these cells, creating an incentive for investigators to destroy more embryos and bring their own embryonic stem cell lines to the federal feeding trough.
The two hESC lines are from BioTime, Inc., which designates them ESI-014 and ESI-017. According to the listing, the embryonic stem cells cannot be used for diagnostic or therapeutic uses.
Collins and the NIH have continued to tout embryonic stem cells, which have not helped a single patient, including pouring an increasing share of federal stem cell funds on human embryonic stem cells, decidedly NOT putting the patients first. Meanwhile they continue ignoring the published benefits of adult stem cells to thousands of patients. You can meet a few of those thousands whose health has been improved with adult stem cells.
