TRENTON - Actor and former Princeton resident Christopher Reeve urged state lawmakers Monday to support a bill that would permit stem-cell research that he believes could help him walk again.

Reeve, the "Superman" star who was paralyzed in a 1995 equestrian accident, told lawmakers on the Senate Health Committee that the state should move ahead in an area scientists think could provide promising research for Americans suffering from incurable diseases.

"New Jersey will miss the opportunity to lead in an area where the nation has failed us," said Reeve, who has spoken to lawmakers across the country urging them to support the controversial research. President Bush has prohibited the use of federal dollars for embryonic cell research, but placed no limits on private funding.

Senate President Richard J. Codey, D-Essex, and Sen. Barbara Buono, D-Middlesex, have proposed a bill that would allow embryonic stem cells obtained from fertility treatments to be used for research. The bill was approved by the committee Monday and now will go before the full Senate.

Embryos are essentially a blank slate in which another person's DNA may be injected. Stem cells form very early in an embryo's growth and eventually develop into different types of cells to form various organs and other parts of the body.

Reeve, 50, hopes the cells could regenerate cells in his spine that were damaged and give him the ability to breathe on his own and walk.

Two years ago, he began to regain movement in a single finger, despite the predictions of neuroscientists who doubted he would be able to move his lower body again. Reeve can now move the fingers on his left hand, his right wrist, toes, and both feet.

Some antiabortion groups and religious organizations object to the use of embryonic stem cells for research, arguing it is immoral and unethical.

"You should never sacrifice another human life for the potential of another," said Marie Tasy, legislative director for New Jersey Right to Life.

The New Jersey bill limits research to unfertilized eggs and prohibits the use of cells for reproductive cloning. It mirrors legislation that has already been approved in California, Reeve said.

Reeve is the most well-known national figure working in support of stem-cell research. He has worked to increase public and private funding for research to treat spinal cord injuries and cure Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, and other illnesses.

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