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The National Institutes of Health said on Wednesday that it had approved 13 new "lines" of embryonic stem cells to make available to biomedical researchers. The groups of cells are the first approved for use since President Obama signed an executive order in March that revoked President George W. Bush's 2001 order limiting federally sponsored research on embryonic stem cells to 60 lines that had already been created at that time -- 21 of which were scientifically useful. In announcing the newly available stem cell lines, the NIH's director, Francis S. Collins, said the new lines had been "derived from embryos that were donated under ethically sound informed consent processes," a nod to critics who say the research leans on cells from embryos from donors who never intended them for that use. The NIH said that 96 additional lines were under review.
