The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is requesting public comment on draft guidelines entitled "National Institutes of Health Guidelines for Human Stem Cell Research."   The draft guidelines are designed to implement President Obama’s March 9, 2009 Executive Order on stem cell research as it pertains to extramural NIH-funded research, including informed consent procedures. Under the draft guidelines, NIH could fund research using human embryonic stem cells that were derived from embryos created by in vitro fertilization (IVF) for reproductive purposes and were no longer needed for that purpose, and funding would continue to be allowed for human stem cell research using adult stem cells and induced pluripotent stem cells (although there are some uses of human embryonic stem cells and human induced pluripotent stem cells that are nevertheless ineligible for NIH funding). NIH funding for research using human embryonic stem cells derived from other sources, including somatic cell nuclear transfer, parthenogenesis, and/or IVF embryos created for research purposes, is not allowed under these guidelines.  Comments must be received by May 26, 2009.  NIH also has issued an update on the status of ongoing research, and of applications pending review or to be submitted, prior to the issuance of final guidelines.