March 29, 2024

IN BRIEF: restless scientists; Korea; confidentiality

Restless scientists: Breaking with a tradition of siding with the Administration, several scientists at the US National Institutes of health have made public their dislike of federal restrictions on human embryonic stem cell research. In response to a letter from Senator Arlen Specter, they warned that the NIH and the nation could fall behind in stem cell science if talented young researchers go elsewhere to take advantage of more funding and fewer restrictions. Even NIH director Elias Zerhouni appears to sympathise. When asked if it were immoral to use “spare” embryos for research, Dr Zerhouni replied “I think you’ll have to ask that from those who hold that view.”