科技英语新闻:U.S. court backs gov't funding for embryonic stem cell research

WASHINGTON, April 29 (Xinhua) -- A U.S. appeals court ruled on Friday that the Obama administration can continue the taxpayer- funding for human embryonic stem cell research.

The U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington overturned a preliminary federal court order that would have blocked the U.S. Health and Human Services Department and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) from spending government money on embryonic stem cells research.

"Today's ruling is a victory for our scientists and patients around the world who stand to benefit from the groundbreaking medical research they're pursuing," said Nicholas Papas, a White House spokesman.

U.S. President Barack Obama has been trying to expand government funding for human embryonic stem cells research, saying that years of progress on finding cures for spinal cord injuries, Parkinson's disease and other diseases would be lost without the government support on this field.

Opponents have been arguing the research is unacceptable because embryonic stem cells can only be obtained through destroying human embryos.

Last August, a federal judge ruled that the government-backed embryonic stem cell research violated the law because embryos were destroyed in the process and it jeopardized the position of researchers using adult stem cells for winning federal grants.

The government immediately appealed to the ruling, and the appeals court said the research could continue at the NIH before the judge ruled on the case.