Obama touts stem cell research

"My administration is committed to supporting and conducting ethically responsible, scientifically worthy human stem cell research, including human embryonic stem cell research, to the extent permitted by law," Obama said in a memo.

Rules the Obama administration released July 7 allow stem cell lines that could not be used under Bush administration guidelines to be available for medical research.

Under new ethics requirements, embryos must be left over from in-vitro fertilization procedures and donors should give them voluntarily, Obama said.

"Responsible research with human embryonic stem cells has the potential to improve our understanding of human biology and aid in the discovery of new ways to prevent and treat illness," Obama said in the memo.

Copyright 2009 by United Press International.