Congress, NIH Discuss Stem Cell Research

WASHINGTON, Oct 02, 2003 (AP Online via COMTEX) -- The government's policy of restricting federal money for embryonic
stem cell research may be discouraging young scientists from pursuing such work despite its great promise, researchers
said Thursday.

"I am sure that the narrow scope of the research is making young investigators wary of entering a field who future is
uncertain," Dr. Harold Varmus, a former head of the National Institutes of Health, told a joint House-Senate hearing.

Varmus, NIH Director Elias Zerhouni and former Princeton University President Harold Shapiro were called to testify
about Zerhouni's plan to reshape the research structure at NIH.

Although there was praise for Zerhouni's plan, most lawmakers quickly moved to other topics, including stem cell
research, shifting NIH jobs to the private sector and federally funded sex research.

Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., quizzed Zerhouni about the effect of the Bush administration's policy to forbid federal
funding of embryonic stem cell research except for cell colonies developed before August 2001.

This limitation "could have a chilling effect on research. A researcher won't want to be in a situation where they
might be gagged," Waxman said.

Zerhouni said there are now 12 federally approved cell lines, or colonies, available for research and that "the number
of cells lines is not the immediate problem." More pressing, he said, is the scarcity of scientists who have the
specialized training needed to work with the complex embryonic stem cells.

"We need more people who understand the cellular pathways," Zerhouni said.

Varmus, now president of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York, said he was happy that "the door is at
least partially open" for federal dollars. But, he added, much of these studies eventually will have to be undertaken
by private institutions such as his own.

"I personally regret the idea we'll have to have a segment of medical research conducted without federal funds," the
Nobel laureate said.

Zerhouni said the administration's position on embryonic stem cells "is based on moral and ethical considerations."

Embryonic stem cells, which form within a few days of conception, are the ancestral cells for all the tissues in the
body. Many scientists believe these cells can be coaxed in the laboratory to transform into liver, heart and other
cells for use in renewing ailing organs.

Many oppose research with human embryonic stem cells because isolating the cells requires the death of a human embryo.
Regulations that President Bush issued in 2001 were intended to prevent the killing of more human embryos for research
purposes.

Also at the hearing of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pension and the House Energy and Commerce committees
were:

-Rep. Joseph R. Pitts took issue with some NIH grants, costing more than $15 million over six years, that pay for
research into human sexuality and arousal.

"One grant pays people to watch pornography and drink alcohol before watching pornography," said Pitts, R-Pa.

Other grants pay for studies of California prostitutes, the sexual habits of older men and sexual arousal among gays
and lesbians, he said.

Zerhouni, who noted that he was not an expert in this field, said advisory committees had review each grant and
approved them based on scientific value.

Last July, the House narrowly defeated an attempt by Pitts and others to block funds for the sexuality research grants.

-Rep. John D. Dingell, D-Mich., criticized a move to take some NIH jobs from federal workers and give them to private
contractors. He said the action was "arousing considerable fear" among workers and "risks to do great harm to NIH."

Zerhouni said that under the direction of the White House budget office, there are certain NIH jobs that have to be put
up for competitive bidding.

Varmus said the privatization effort was "causing anxiety" at NIH.

Shapiro, who headed a National Academy of Sciences study of NIH, said the effort "was not well thought out and was ill-
conceived" and that it "threatens to undermine the vitality of the organization."

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On the Net:

National Institutes of Health:
http://www.nih.gov

By PAUL RECER AP Science Writer

SOURCE: Associated Press / MacroWorld Investor
http://www.mworld.com/m/m.w?lp=GetStory&id=74510161

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