New guidelines for stem cell research to receive federal funding have been announced. The eligible stem cell lines had to have been generated following specific ethical guidelines. But what guidelines, you might ask, and what ethics? From The Washington Post:
All embryonic stem cell lines that qualified for federal funding would have to meet a series of ethical requirements: The embryo that was destroyed to create a line must have been discarded after an in vitro fertilization procedure, and the donors must have been informed that the embryo would be destroyed for stem cell research and made fully cognizant of their choices, including donating the embryo to another couple who want a baby. No donors could have been paid for an embryo, and no threats or inducements could have been used to nudge couples toward making a donation.
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