President Barack Obama will today announce the lifting of restrictions on government funding for stem cell research. The restrictions were imposed eight years ago by George W. Bush, saying that such research would cross a ‘moral line’.

Douglas Melton, who is a co-director of the Harvard Stem Cell Institute, has announced he will begin collaborations with publicly funded scientists immediately. This research will investigate treatments for illnesses such as  diabetes, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease. The research will be using freshly made embryonic stem cells. ‘The removal of a barrier that has stood in our way for eight years will open important new areas of research, and move the field forward more rapidly,’ he said.

This announcement might mean a ‘brain drain’ from Britain as many US scientists were driven from the US to the UK were laws on stem cell research have been more relaxed. Now that the new administration has declared a new and favourable stance on the issue, many of them are expected to come back to the US, leaving British research behind. UK scientists might also decide to move to the US as Obama has promised a new stream of financial support, while in the UK they struggle to raise the money needed.