January 7, 2013

Statement by NIH Director Francis S. Collins, M.D., Ph.D., on Supreme Court’s decision regarding stem cell case

Photo of stem cell culture vials Stacks of cell culture flasks being used to propogate mouse embryonic fibroblasts. These fibroblasts are them prevented from dividing further and are used as feeder cells for human embryonic stem cells, providing the necessary growth factors to maintain the stem cells in an undifferentiated state.Wellcome

I am very pleased with today's decision by the U.S. Supreme Court to decline to review the Sherley v. Sebelius U.S. Court of Appeals ruling. This decision allows the ruling to stand, and enables NIH to continue conducting and funding stem cell research, following the strict ethical guidelines put in place in 2009. Patients and their families who look forward to new therapies to replace cells lost by disease or injury, or who may benefit from new drugs identified by screening using stem cells, should be reassured that NIH will continue supporting this promising research.

Francis S. Collins, M.D., Ph.D.
Director, National Institutes of Health