A long-sought loosening of Japan's guidelines on human embryonic stem-cell research came into effect on 21 August. But some say the new rules are too little, too late for a struggling field that was once a source of national pride. On the surface the previous guidelines, set in 2001, were permissive. They allowed scientists to derive new human embryonic stem (ES) cell lines and research both home-grown and imported cell lines. But that could be done only after the research was approved. (source: nature.com)
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