Stem Cell Lines Created From Poor Quality Embryos Discarded From Fertility Clinics

Human embryos that are discarded every day as medical waste from in vitro fertilization (IVF) clinics could be an important source of stem cells for research. Some of the embryos created during IVF are deemed "clinically useless" because of imperfections, but it is possible to derive stem cell lines from these poor-quality embryos. Because poor-quality embryos are discarded everyday in the course of IVF, the scientists believe they represent an ethically acceptable source of stem cells for research.