ASCC stable funding as US fights for stem cell research
The Australian Stem Cell Centre (ASCC) continues work on four collaborative streams as the U.S. government gets court approval for its stem cell research.
The four collaborative streams consist of 32 research modules from across Australia. Embryonic stem cells, adult stem cells, induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS cells), and bioreactors for the propagation of stem cells comprise Australia's stem cell research collaborative work since 2002.
It was only on Tuesday, though, that the U.S. government was allowed to temporarily continue funding embryonic stem cell research. The US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit granted the Obama administration's request to allow the funding from the National Institutes of Health while waiting for a decision on an appeal over a judge's order blocking the research.
In August, US District Judge Royce Lamberth blocked President Barack Obama's executive order to expand stem cell research. Lamberth claimed the policy violated the Dickey-Wicker Amendment which bans the use of federal money to destroy embryos.
The 1996 Dickey Amendment prohibits the Department of Health and Human Services to use taxpayer money in work that destroys embryos. As a result, batches of embryos have been culled using private funding.
President Obama expanded stem cell research, as well as, studies in medical treatments and cures.