To the Editor:

We noticed that the news story “Stem cell funding resumes” by Laura DeFrancesco (Nat. Biotechnol. 29, 468, 2011) contained the final sentence “...efforts continue in at least two states, Minnesota and Oklahoma, to prohibit hESC [human embryonic stem cell] research.” This does not accurately describe the status of hESC research in Minnesota today.

There were unsuccessful legislative efforts in Minnesota this past session to prohibit and restrict funding for somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) procedures for making new hESC lines. There were no efforts to restrict hESC research generally. This research is permissible under Minnesota law and continues to be performed at the University of Minnesota.

The SCNT legislation passed by the legislature was opposed by patient advocacy groups, the business community and both the University of Minnesota and the Mayo Clinic. Governor Dayton vetoed the legislation in a strongly worded statement. However, even if the legislation had been enacted, it would not have limited hESC research generally.

All states have a minority of their population who oppose research involving hESCs. However, we do not consider that efforts in Minnesota are any closer to success than elsewhere.