The laboratory process, described
in the journal Scientific Reports,
entails genetically modifying a line of human
embryonic stem cells to become fluorescent upon their differentiation to retinal ganglion
cells, and then using that
cell line for development of new differentiation methods and characterization of the resulting
cells.
Thomas Hungar, of the Washington law firm Gibson, Dunn, argued for the plaintiffs that «it is undisputed
in this case that human
embryonic stem cell research always
entails the destruction of embryos.»