German researchers will be able to use hundreds more human embryonic stem-cell lines following a vote in parliament to amend the country's controversial stem-cell law.

This law had restricted researchers to working on lines created before 1 January 2002. The amendment advances the cut-off date to 1 May 2007. It will also no longer be a criminal offence for German scientists to use even newer cell lines in countries where such research is allowed.

German researchers will have greater access to human embryonic stem cells after law change. Credit: A. LEONARD/SPL

Around 500 cell lines were created between 2002 and 2007. “There are enough cell lines here of good quality that we can now use,” says Oliver Brüstle, a stem-cell researcher at the University of Bonn.

Most scientists had been campaigning for a complete abandonment of the cut-off date, but the amendment explicitly states that it is a 'one-off' extension. This means Germans won't be able to work on cell lines that are now being developed for use in patients — but it is an acceptable compromise, says Brüstle.