U-M: 6 new stem cell lines available for research

Six new human embryonic stem cell lines derived at the University of Michigan are available for federal research.

University of Michigan Health System officials say in a release Thursday that researchers can begin using the stem cell lines to study the origins of diseases and potential treatments.

U-M now has eight cell lines on the U.S. National Institutes of Health's registry, including five that carry genetic mutations for serious diseases including hemophilia B, Huntington's disease and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

Michigan voters in 2009 approved Proposal 2, which allowed people to donate embryos left over from fertility treatments for scientific research.

Some anti-abortion activists oppose embryonic stem cell research because the cells come from embryos discarded by fertility clinics. Supporters say it could hold the key to lifesaving medical advances.