Both the International Society of Stem Cell Research and the California Institute of Regenerative Medicine have issued statements about stem cell research in the state of the union address, which praised work in reprogramming adult cells to an embryonic-like state and called for expanded funding for “ethical” research. CIRM called it “misleading.” The ISSCR said “a great deal of work remains before these methods can be used to generate stem cells suitable for safe and effective therapies.”

The ISSCR also stated that the FDA has informed fertility clinics of its policy to prevent reproductive cloning. The agency instructed institutional review boards (the committees that must approve research on human subjects) that such investigations are under its jurisdiction and will not be allowed to proceed.

Generally though, the President’s speech held nothing new. The few queries I put out to ask what was meant by “expanded funds” or “legislation that bans unethical practices” were met by the phone and equivalents of shrugs: “who knows?”

I thought a blog in Wired did a nice job of summing it up. “Both sides will applaud the expansion of reprogrammed cell research, then regroup on their side of the debate.”

Here are links to my previous posts on potential ramifications in funding and legislahtion.