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Till & McCulloch Establish the Foundation for Stem Cell Research
2 scientists from the Ontario Cancer Institute (OCI) Drs. James Till, a biophysicist, and Ernest McCulloch, a haematologist, published their accidental findings in “Radiation Research” that proved the existence of stem cells, cells that can self-renew repeatedly for various uses. -
Congress Bans All Federally Funded Fetal Tissue Research
The 93rd Congress sets up a ban on almost all federally funded fetal tissue research until the National Commission for the Protection of Human Subjects of Biomedical and Behavioral Research makes guidelines for it. -
National Commission for the Protection of Human Subjects of Biomedical and Behavioral Research
The National Research Act creates the National Commission for the Protection of Human Subjects of Biomedical and Behavioral Research and puts it in the Department of Health, Education, & Welfare to define a policy for protection of human subjects during medical and/or scientific experiments. -
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Ethics Advisory Board Established
In the year of 1975, guidelines creat an Ethics Advisory Board for fetal and fetal tissue research that comes from abortions. -
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President Reagan Kills Ethics Advisory Board
In the year of 1980, President Ronald Reagan didn't renew the Ethics Advisory Board’s charter. The EAB had recommended federally funded investigations into the safety of in vitro fertilization using human embryos developed in vitro for no more than 14 days, but a de facto moratorium stops the federal funding of human embryo research due to the EAB’s disbanding. -
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Federal Panel Approves Funding of Embryo Research
In the year of 1988, Human Fetal Tissue Transplantation Research Panel reopens the question and votes 18-3 to approve the federal funding of embryo research. Even with the level of support for the research, the Department of Health and Human Services accepts the testimony of three conservative dissenters who don't agree that embryonic research would lead to an increase in abortions, and in response, extends the moratorium on this research. -
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President George H.W. Bush Vetos Bill Lifting Moratorium
In the year of 1990, Congress trys to override the moratorium through legislation but President George H.W. Bush vetoes the measure. -
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President Clinton Executive Order Lifts Moratorium
In the year of 1993, United States Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) Secretary Donna Shalala lifts the moratorium on federal funding of human embryonic research in accordance with President Bill Clinton’s executive order. -
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President Clintion Reverses Order
In the year of 1994, a National Institutes of Health Human Embryonic researcher panel supports the research but thousands of letters urge President Clinton to reverse his earlier decision. He agrees and federal funding of embryonic research is halted. -
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Dickey-Wicker Amendment
In the year of 1995, Congress bans the federal funding for research on embryos through the Dickey-Wicker Amendment, named after its sponsors Jay Dickey (R-AR) and Roger Wicker (R-MI). The amendment prohibits the use of federal funds for “the creation of human embryo or embryos for research purposes; or research in which a human embryo or embryos are destroyed, discarded, or knowingly subjected to risk of injury or death greater than that allowed for research on fetuses in utero. -
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James Thomson Isolates Human Embryonic Stem Cells
In the year of 1998, An University of Wisconsin scientist, James Thomson, isolates human embryonic stem cells and shows their potential benifits. This discovery also starts the ethical debate on human embryonic stem cell research because his team gets the stem cells through a process that destroys human embryos. -
HHS Legal Opinion OKs Research on hESC Lines
In the month of January of 1999, NIH Director Harold Varmus receives a legal opinion from DHHS general council, Harriet Rabb. Rabb found out that the Dickey-Wicker amendment does not apply to federal funding for research on embryonic stem cells because the cells do not meet the definition of an embryo. The cells would have to be funded with private funding. -
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NIH Guidelines and Bush Disapproval
Between the years of 1999 and 2000, the NIH develops guidelines for funding human embryonic stem cell research, but presidential candidate George W. Bush declares his opposition to the research in a campaign speech, so the NIH remains cautious about entertaining funding proposals until after the presidential election. -
Harold Varmus Appoints Oversight Committee
In the month of Apri of 1999, Harold Varmus assigns an oversight committee to write guidelines for federally funding embryonic stem cells. The committee includes scientists, clinicians, ethicists, lawyers, patients, and patent advocates. -
Influx of Reponses on Proposed Guidelines
In the month of Febuary of 2000, over 50,000 responses had been received on the committee’s guidelines. -
NIH Guidelines for Research Go Into Effect
In the month of August of 2000, NIH Guidelines for Research Using Human Pluripotent Stem Cells are published in the Federal Register over the summer and go into effect. Human embryonic stem cells must be derived with private funds from frozen embryos from fertility clinics, they must have been created for fertility treatment purposes, be in excess of the donor’s clinical need, and obtained with the consent of the donor. These guidelines also outlawed the federal funding of stem cells -
Grant Application Review Postponed for Bush Administration
In the month of April of 2001, NIH delays reviewing grant applications for human embryonic stem cell research in order to give the Bush administration time to review HHS policies. -
President Bush Prohibits Federal Funding of Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research
In the month of August of 2001, President Bush prohibits the federal funding of any research using stem cell lines derived after August 9, 2001, but his policy does not affect research in the private sector or research conducted with state funding. The president claims that more than 60 stem cell lines are available for funding. -
President’s Council on Bioethic: “Monitoring Stem Cell Research”
In the month of January of 2004, The President’s Council on Bioethics published a report on stem cell research, the report says that “no proposed guidelines and regulations, nor indeed any specific recommendations for public policy.” But the goal of the report is “to convey the moral and social importance of the issue at hand and to demonstrate how people of different backgrounds, ethical beliefs, and policy preferences can reason together about it.” -
National Academies Releases “Guidelines for Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research”
On April 26, 2005, The National Academies published “Guidelines for Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research.” In the news release, Richard O. Hynes explains, “A standard set of requirements for deriving, storing, distributing, and using embryonic stem cell lines, one to which the entire U.S. scientific community adheres- is the best way for this research to move forward.” -
President’s Council on Bioethics: “Alternative Sources of Pluripotent Stem Cells”
In the month of May of 2005, the President’s Council on Bioethics releases a white paper titled “Alternative Sources of Pluripotent Stem Cells” -
ISSCR Guidelines
On December 21, 2006, the International Society for Stem Cell Research releases its “Guidelines for the Conduct of Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research.” -
New NAS Guidelines
On April 30, 2007, the National Academies releases the 2007 amendments for its guidelines. -
President Bush Calls for Work on Alternate Sources
On June 20, 2007, President Bush issues an executive order calling upon a HHS secretary to support and encourage research on alternative sources of pluripotent stem cells. He also wants that the Human Embryonic Stem Cell Registry be renamed to the Human Pluripotent Stem Cell Registry. -
Yamanaka and Thomson Independently Derive iPS Cells
In the month of November of 2007, Shinya Yamanaka, Kyoto University, and James Thomson, University of Wisconsin-Madison, both publish papers on their separate discoveries of induced pluripotent stem cells. These pluripotent cells were created from skin cells that had four genes inserted into them with viruses. This procedure resulted in the skin cells acquiring properties similar to embryonic stem cells. becoming -
Report: Only 16 of 21 Lines Eligible for Federally Funding Were Ethically Derived
In the month of May of 2008, Robert Streiffer, a bioethicist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, publishes a paper detailing his investigation into the consent forms for the federally approved human embryonic stem cell lines. Although 21 lines were viable at the time, he discovers that only 16 lines are both viable and ethically derived. -
NAS Release New Guidelines
On Spetember 5, 2008, the National Academies releases the 2008 amendments for its guidelines. -
ISSCR Releases Guidelines for Clinical Translation
On December 3, 2008, the International Society for Stem Cell Research published its new Guidelines for the Clinical Translation of Stem Cells -
New Administration Begins
On January 20, 2009, Barack Obama is sworn in as the 44th president of the United States, he had promised to change the current restrictions on human embryonic stem cell research. -
President Obama Reverses George W. Bush’s 2001 Executive Order
On March 29, 2009, President Obama gives Executive Order: Removing Barriers to Responsible Scientific Research Involving Human Stem Cells -
Geron Initiates Clinical Trial of Human Embryonic Stem Cell-Based Therapy
On October 11, 2010, the Geron Corporation announced the enrollment of the first patient in the company’s clinical trial of human embryonic stem cell (hESC)-derived oligodendrocyte progenitor cells, GRNOPC1. -
Advanced Cell Technology Wins FDA Approval To Test Stem Cell Therapy For Degenerative Eye Disease
On November 22, 2010, a regenerative medicine company, Advanced Cell Technology, received federal approval from the US FDA to begin a multi-centre clinical trial that tests human embryonic stem cell treatment on patients with Stargardt’s Macular Dystrophy, a disease that makes people go blind. -
Stem cell pioneer Ernest McCulloch dies
On January 20, 2011, one of the first pioneers of stem cell research died at age 58. The cause of death is unknown