This is Gwen Outen with the VOA Special English Health Report.

Researchers in the United States recently announced thedevelopment of seventeen new lines of human embryonic stem cells.The researchers work at Harvard University for the Howard HughesMedical Institute. They said the new stem cell lines will be offeredfor use by other scientists.

Stem cells have qualities that might make them useful in thetreatment of diseases. Scientists are especially interested in stemcells from embryos. These are able to develop into the differentkinds of tissues of the body.

In two thousand two, President Bush restricted government supportfor such research. Federal money can only go to research on existinglines of embryonic stem cells.

Opponents of these limits include Ron Reagan, the son of theformer Republican president. He gave a speech last month at theDemocratic convention in Boston. He is not a scientist, but hedescribed how stem cells might someday be used to treat a disease:

Doctors would take a cell from a patient and place the nucleusinside an egg. Chemicals or electricity would cause the nucleus todivide into more cells to form an embryo. The stem cells could thenbe used to replace unhealthy cells in the patient.

Many scientists have hope for the possibility of such cures. Notall think the promise is as great as some people might believe, atleast not yet. But some people oppose the use of embryonic stemcells. They say human life is destroyed because the embryo isdestroyed to collect the cells.

Private laboratories are not affected by the government limits.The new stem cell lines were developed by scientists in thelaboratory of Douglas Melton. He is a Howard Hughes researcher atHarvard. The institute along with the university and the JuvenileDiabetes Research Foundation pay for his research.

The laboratory will use the stem cell lines to look for a curefor type one diabetes. Type one diabetes is also called juvenilediabetes. It is generally found in young people.

The disease is caused by a lack of cells that produce insulin inthe pancreas. Douglas Melton's goal is to learn how to makeembryonic stem cells that can grow the needed pancreatic cells. Hesays he hopes the new cell lines will speed this research and leadto new discoveries about other diseases, too.

This VOA Special English Health Report was written by PaulThompson. This is Gwen Outen.