Frequently asked questions about stem cells

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)--from NIH.GOV
Basic Questions
What are human embryonic stem cells?
What classes of stem cells are there?
Where do stem cells come from?
Why do scientists want to use stem cell lines?
Healthcare Questions
Why are doctors and scientists so excited about human embryonic stem cells?
Have human embryonic stem cells been used successfully to treat any human diseases yet?
What will be the best type of stem cell to use for therapy?
I have Parkinson's Disease. Is there a clinical trial that I can participate in that uses stem cell as therapy?
Where can I donate umbilical cord stem cells?
Research and Policy Questions
Which research is best to pursue?
Why not use adult stem cells instead of using human embryonic stem cells in research?
What are the NIH Guidelines on the utilization of stem cells derived from human fetal tissue (embryonic germ cells)?
May individual states pass laws to permit human embryonic stem cell research?
Where can I find information about patents obtained for stem cells?
Cell Line Availability and the Registry
I am a scientist funded by the NIH. How many cell lines are available to me, and how do I get them?
I'm interested in purchasing more than one cell line from the NIH Stem Cell Registry. What is known about the status of the cell lines and their availability?
Who owns the cells?
When does NIH anticipate that more stem cells lines will become available?
What policies govern use of stem cell lines from WiCell Research Institute?
Funding Questions
Does NIH fund embryonic stem cell research?
Are there any areas of research involving human pluripotent stem cells that are ineligible for NIH funding?
Can a scientist supported by federal funds conduct research with stem cell lines that are not listed on the NIH Human Embryonic Stem Cell Registry?
What if a scientist is conducting research with both federally fundable and non-federally fundable human embryonic stem cells?
Who is responsible for setting the policy to allow federal money to be used for human embryonic stem cell research?
I am a university research administrator. One of our NIH-funded investigators would like to use a cell line that was created after August 9th, 2001, and it is not eligible for research using federal funds. What should I tell the investigator who wants to work with these cells in his laboratory?
I am an investigator who receives NIH funding, and I am planning to derive new human embryonic stem cell lines. Can I conduct the derivations in my laboratory, or do I need to find a non-university funded laboratory to do this work?
Can you explain what accounting principles are necessary to demonstrate that unallowable charges are not being absorbed by NIH funded research, e.g., indirect costs?
May I use data produced from studies of non-approved human embryonic stem cell (hESC) lines under an NIH-supported project?
Can a DNA clone or plasmid or other research resource originally generated with NIH funds be used in the study of non-approved cell lines?
May a common resource area be created that allows scientists working on unapproved lines and other scientists working on approved lines to use some of the same equipment and common resources (pipettes, glassware, etc.)?