Washington, DC – U.S. Senator Benjamin L. Cardin (D-MD) today commended the National Institutes of Health, headquartered in Maryland, for its announcement of the first 13 human embryonic stem cell lines available for use in NIH-funded research under new guidelines adopted in July 2009. Senator Cardin has long supported efforts to overturn the ban on federal funding of embryonic stem cell research and was pleased to join President Obama at the White House this March when he signed an executive order accomplishing this goal.

“Millions of Americans who suffer from chronic diseases have been given new hope as we moved closer toward unlocking the immense potential of human embryonic stem-cell research. I applaud the National Institutes of Health and Director Francis Collins for providing the essential tools needed by our nation’s scientists who are developing critical medical treatments and therapies. Few other decisions President Obama has made since he took office will have a more profound impact on the long-term health and well-being of more Americans than the reversal of President Bush’s ban on funding human embryonic stem-cell research.

“Maryland is home to some of the world’s leading medical research institutions, such as NIH and Johns Hopkins University.  I am proud of the embryonic research doctors in Maryland who are bringing us closer than ever to unlocking the mysteries of so many debilitating diseases like Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and Juvenile Diabetes.”