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Political Uncertainty Is Deterring Stem Cell Research

WASHINGTON (Reuters Health) May 02 - The unsettled
questions surrounding federal funding of research using human
embryonic stem cells is causing researchers to shy away from
promising avenues, a leading scientist said Wednesday.

"The political uncertainty about future funding of stem cell research
is enough to turn off the tap of interest for young researchers in
particular," said Dr. Douglas A. Melton, chairman of Harvard
University's Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology.

In a conference call with reporters Wednesday, Dr. Melton said
he thinks the reason only a handful of researchers filed applications
for federal funding of research using embryonic stem cells is that
writing such an application takes "at least 2 to 3 months" and there
is no promise that such an application would even be considered.

Pending a scientific and ethical review, the Bush administration has
put on hold guidelines issued last August allowing funding of such
research in certain circumstances. Health and Human Services
Secretary Tommy Thompson told a House Appropriations
subcommittee Wednesday that he expects to make a decision in
early June.

But Lawrence Soler, of the Juvenile Diabetes Research
Foundation and co-chair of the Coalition for the Advancement of
Medical Research, which sponsored the conference call, said he is
not convinced such a decision is forthcoming. "There's nothing
restricting them from putting this on an indefinite hold and
continuing the current situation," he said.

Dr. Melton said that while he supports research using stem cells
from adults, he remains convinced that both embryonic and adult
cells need to be examined more closely. "My view is we are
presently so ignorant of which cells are likely to be useful for
treatment, both avenues should be aggressively pursued," he said.

Opponents of the use of embryonic stem cells have said that
destroying potential human life is unethical and that stem cells from
other sources could be just as promising.

Scientists Debate Human Cloning Policy

WASHINGTON (Reuters Health) May 03 - Scientists, ethicists,
and philosophers faced off on Wednesday at a Senate hearing
over legislation that would ban not only the cloning of humans for
reproductive purposes, but also the cloning of human embryos for
research into treatments for a wide variety of conditions and
diseases.

Backers of the "Human Cloning Prohibition Act" told the Senate
Commerce Subcommittee on Science, Technology and Space that
to truly preclude cloning intended to produce a live birth, it is
necessary to outlaw all forms of embryo cloning.

"Because the transfer of embryos to begin a pregnancy is a simple
procedure, and because any government effort to prevent transfer
of an existing embryo, or to prevent birth once transfer has
occurred, would raise substantial moral, legal, and practical issues,
it will be nearly impossible to prevent attempts at 'reproductive
cloning' once cloned human embryos are available in the
laboratory," testified Rep. Dave Weldon, R-Fla., sponsor of the
measure in the House. "An effective ban on human cloning must
therefore stop the process at the beginning."

Supporters of the bill also told the subcommittee that cloning
embryos to obtain embryonic stem cells is itself unethical. "Cloning
of a human embryo for research and medical purposes always
results in the destruction, which is to say the death, of a human
person," testified Robert Best, president of the Culture of Life
Foundation.

"Even if the goals of scientific research are commendable in terms
of health needs of our citizens, they cannot be pursued by evil
means, including the death of the 'least among us,' the human
embryo," he said.

Scientists told the subcommittee that such a broad ban could
threaten potentially life-saving research. "Therapeutic cloning
techniques are central to the production of breakthrough
medicines, diagnostics and vaccines to treat Alzheimer's, diabetes,
Parkinson's, heart attacks, various cancers and hundreds of other
genetic diseases," testified Carl Feldbaum, president of the
Biotechnology Industry Organization.

"We all agree that given the current safety and social factors,
human reproductive cloning is repugnant," he said. "However, it is
critical that in our enthusiasm to prevent reproductive cloning, we
not ban vital research, turning wholly legitimate biomedical
researchers into outlaws, and thus squelching the hope for relief
for millions of suffering individuals."

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