A bioethics panel approved guidelines Wednesday for research into embryonic stem cells, which can be used to grow all organs and tissues of the human body.
The Expert Panel on Bioethics, under the Cabinet Office's Council for Science and Technology Policy, approved the guidelines at a meeting in Tokyo.
Following the panel's approval, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology is expected to approve the guidelines by the end of the month, at the earliest. The step paves the way for the possible launch of research on embryonic cells in Japan by the end of the year.