Aug. 12 (Bloomberg) -- Former First Lady Nancy Reagan offered her support for President George W. Bush's re-election campaign after meeting with the president for almost an hour. They didn't discuss the controversial stem-cell research she supports.

``I repeated my full support of his re-election and my hope that everyone will join in supporting his campaign,'' Reagan, 81, said in a statement issued after the meeting.

Following the meeting, Bush, with his wife Laura, and Reagan by his side, told reporters he was ``honored'' to meet with the widow of Ronald Reagan, the 40th U.S. president.

Nancy Reagan has lobbied for Bush to lift his limits on the funding of embryonic stem-cell research, saying it may help find cures for diseases such as Alzheimer's. Her husband died June 5 after a decade-long struggle with the disease, and their son, Ron Reagan, spoke at the Democratic convention July 27 urging further stem-cell research.

Stem-cell research ``was not a subject that came up'' between Bush and Reagan, White House spokesman Scott McClellan said.

Bush, 58, cited ``moral concerns'' in his 2001 decision to limit federal funding to existing stem-cell lines, opposing the destruction of human embryos to gain new stem cells. Democratic presidential rival John Kerry, 60, a four-term Massachusetts senator, has promised to end Bush's funding limits.

Bush is in California today on the third day of a five-day campaign swing through Florida and western states. He will travel to Oregon and Washington tomorrow, after a campaign stop in Las Vegas, Nevada, earlier today.

`Good Discussion'

Reagan gave Bush a tour of her Bel Air, California, home, where they had ``a good discussion,'' McClellan said.

In her statement, Reagan said the visit of Bush and his wife ``gave me a chance to thank them again for the kindness they provided at the time of Ronnie's funeral.''

Reagan's June funeral featured full military honors, where he laid in state in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda, before a California burial. Bush gave a eulogy at the funeral.

First Lady Laura Bush said Monday that supporters of stem- cell research shouldn't overstate its potential for curing diseases.

``Embryonic stem-cell research is very preliminary right now, and the implication that cures for Alzheimer's are around the corner is just not right,'' she said in a speech to the Pennsylvania Medical Society in Langhorne.

Embryos are often left over after couples use fertility clinics, and stem cells are the fetal building blocks that can mature into any type of tissue. As many as 100 million Americans may benefit from stem-cell research for diseases such as Alzheimer's and diabetes, according to the Washington-based Coalition for the Advancement of Medical Research.

Companies that may benefit from more support include Ann Arbor, Michigan-based Aastrom Biosciences Inc.; Geron Corp. of Menlo Park, California; StemCells Inc. in Palo Alto, California; and closely held Advanced Cell Technology Inc. in Worcester, Massachusetts. LifeCell Corp., a Branchburg, New Jersey-based producer of products to repair damaged tissue, is working with Australia's National Stem Cell Centre.

To contact the reporter on this story: William McQuillen in Los Angeles at bmcquillenbloomberg.net

Last Updated: August 12, 2004 21:35 EDT