David Magnus puts it well in Forbes:
Research is being reset to “where we were before, where using somatic cell nuclear transfer to derive stem cells is only a theoretical possibility,” added David Magnus, director of the Stanford Center for Biomedical Ethics.
“We’re hopeful, but whether it’s possible and how long it’s going to take is something that is now a complete unknown. This really is a setback in a lot of ways.”
Nevertheless, stem cell research with the potential for real breakthroughs continues. According to The New York Times, two labs at Harvard have been seeking approval for more than a year to clone human cells. Two institutions in England are moving down the same road, as are some private companies.
In a prepared statement, Dr. Irving Weissman, director of the Stanford Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, said his university intends to use dollars from California’s Proposition 71 — which earmarks state funds for embryonic stem cell research — “to recruit scientists who will find ways to do nuclear transfer research, first in animal models and then with human cells.”