Judge tosses out lawsuit against federal funding of embryonic stem cell research

Embryonic stem cell research at the University of Michigan is an indirect winner in a federal court decision.   A U.S. District judge today tossed out a lawsuit challenging federal funding for the controversial medical research.

  Sean Morrison is the outgoing director of the University of Michigan's Center for Stem Cell Biology.   He says the lawsuit threatened millions of dollars in federal  funding for embryonic stem cell research at U of M. 

“This was really important because the plaintiffs argued that the NIH was essentially breaking the law by funding embryonic stem cell research.   And if upheld, that argument would have lead to a near immediate ending of funding for embryonic stem cell research projects.”  

Opponents say the research is still unproven and requires the destruction of  human embryos. 

Researchers hope to someday use embryonic stem cells to cure diseases, like Parkinson’s.