Researchers cheer stem cell decision

Local advocates for stem cell research hailed President Obama’s decision to remove restrictions on using federal money to fund the controversial practice, saying it will “break down barriers” for scientists and provide critical access to millions of dollars more in grants.

“This lifts a black cloud that has hovered over this research for a long time,” said Dr. Robert Lanza, chief scientific officer at Advanced Cell Technology, Inc. in Worcester. “It’s just unbelievable how much important research has been held up due to the restrictions.”

A landmark law in 2005 paved the way to expand such research in Massachusetts, and last year, Gov. Deval Patrick moved forward with a far-reaching $1 billion life sciences bill.

Proponents say private funding options have been extremely limited in the past, while opponents say the practice is unethical because it involves destroying human embryos.

B.D. Colen, spokesman for Harvard University’s Stem Cell Institute, said past restrictions denied certain interaction between stem cell researchers and other scientists. He even said Harvard had to buy two $35,000 machines for the same lab used to view slides of tissue slices because one could not be used for stem cell research.

“Colleagues doing [different kinds of] embryonic research, they couldn’t work out an idea over a cup of coffee. Now they could join in on something that interests them,” Colen said.