US scientists say they have devised two new methods of extracting precious embryonic stem cells from mice without destroying their pre-existing ability to generate life, potentially offering a way out of a protracted political stalemate over regenerative medicine. The announcement, made on Sunday by Massachusetts-based Advanced Cell Technology, Inc. (ACT) and the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, comes amid a heated debate in the United States about whether current limits on federal funding for embryonic stem cell research should be lifted to give scientists a chance to explore what many call one of the most promising areas of biological science.
