Stem cell research gets OK But embryo guidelines draw criticism

WASHINGTON President Clinton strongly endorsed guidelines releasedWednesday by the National Institutes of Health that will allow thefirst federal funding of human embryo cell research.

Research on human embryonic stem cells, obtained from frozenembryos slated for destruction at fertility clinics, offers"potentially staggering benefits," Clinton said.

Clinton acknowledged that some are opposed to the research becauseembryos cannot survive the retrieval process. But he said it would bewrong not to follow up on the "breathtaking" evidence that the cellscan help cure spinal cord injuries and a wide variety of diseases.

"I think we cannot walk away from the potential …