Existing stem-cell lines adequate for research - US

[Max]

Existing stem-cell lines adequate for research - US
WASHINGTON, Aug 10 (Reuters) - The world's current supply of some 60 stem-cell lines will be adequate to let scientists conduct effective research, U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson said on Friday.

Speaking one day after President George W. Bush announced his decision to limit federally funded U.S. research to work with existing stem-cell lines, Thompson acknowledged questions raised by the president's policy.

``The president's decision balances our deepest respect for life but also our highest hopes for alleviating human suffering,'' Thompson told a news conference at the U.S. National Institutes of Health. "But the decision has spawned the question of whether the existing stem-cell lines are adequate to conduct effective research.

``The answer, ladies and gentlemen, is a resounding yes.''

Many researchers were skeptical when Bush said there were 60 stem-cell lines in existence -- most had estimated a much lower number of the lines, which are created from human embryos containing the vastly adaptable cells that hold promise for treating ailments from Alzheimer's disease to spinal cord injury.

Thompson stressed that his department and NIH had identified such stem-cell lines. ``The more than 60 stem-cell lines are diverse robust and they're viable for research,'' he said.

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