#391 Tuesday, November 20, 2007 - GIVING THANKS FOR STEM CELL STATES

In a moment, I would like to appreciate the stem cell funding states, all 14
of them.
But first, a larger question: does it matter what the states do, in terms of
funding stem cell research? Maybe they should leave the whole issue alone?
Some advocates oppose state funding of stem cell research, arguing that our
efforts should be focused on the National Institutes of Health. They point
out that a new President could change the current restrictive policies
dramatically.

A supportive President would unquestionably assist the advancement of
medical research. But can anyone guarantee such a leader?
True, the Democratic candidates (Clinton, Obama, Edwards, Richardson, to
name a few) support stem cell research, including embryonic and nuclear
transfer research, as well as the non-controversial (and in my view less
promising) adult stem cell methods.
Among Republicans, the best we can hope for is a "least worst" situation.
Giuliani and McCain are partially in favor, while Romney and Thompson
completely oppose.

But will even the strongest supporter in the White House make everything
okay for embryonic stem cell funding?
Unfortunately, no.
Before we thank the states which already support stem cell research, here
are ten reasons why federal action alone cannot suffice, and why state
efforts deserve support.

1. Under current law, only state efforts like California's can develop new
stem cell lines. Washington cannot legally fund the making of any new stem
cell lines at all-- so long as the Dickey Amendment is renewed every year.
The Dickey Amendment blocks the Feds from funding anything which "endangers"
an "embryo"-- and the definition of both danger and embryo is changed every
year, continually thwarting research. Sadly, very few Congressional and
Senatorial folks even know what the Dickey Amendment is, or how this
ideological barrier stops Federal money from developing new stem cell lines.

2.  The Iraq/Afghanistan war has cripplingly indebted us, and will continue
to do so. While my heart says "Get out now", my head fears we will probably
not-which means still more blood and billions draining away... (One new
study on the less obvious costs of the Iraq and Afghanistan war estimates
the total expense will be more than three trillion dollars-enough to pay all
Federal income taxes for a year and a half.)

3. The National debt is now a vast burden with which the next President must
deal.

The greenhouse effect will cost major amounts of money to fight.

Every college in our nation faces financial difficulties, and state
investment dollars are a help to them-and crucial to research advancement.
Few realize that colleges are where most research begins. If colleges are
unable to fund the basic research, that slows their states from benefiting
from a biomedical revolution.

Supporting state efforts now means getting them on the ballot in a
Presidential election year-which means voter turnout could be huge-and we
would get a truer picture of what America wants.

Some states are so utterly controlled by conservative ideological forces
that it may be all but impossible for them to fund embryonic stem cell
research-but if they backed adult stem cell research (which I personally do
not consider promising) they could at least find out what does not work.
Also, it must be acknowledged that adult stem cell research has brought us
important advances in some areas like the fight against cancer. My younger
sister had adult stem cells given to her to fight the dread disease. It is
not a perfect system, but it may have saved her life.

Spreading out the research is vital for its advancement. We want the entire
country working on the many scientific issues involved, for everyone's
benefit, both by alleviating suffering through research for cure, and
offering new and good-paying jobs. Look at Illinois-Detroit's
automobile-making factories are in difficult times-but what if bio-med
created a whole new growth industry there?

A 50-state strategy allows us to both encourage and learn from supportive
friends everywhere. If you name even the most difficult state (in terms of
stem cell support) there are folks there who carry the belief forward-
these are our greatest warriors, who support the research in the most
relentlessly anti-research environments imaginable. Their contributions of
strategy and energy are vital; we are going up against the entrenched power
of organized conservative ideology.

Finally, those who want an exclusively national approach cannot argue from
success. On a national basis, what have we won?  The very limited Stem Cell
Research Enhancement Act was proposed-which failed twice. True, we were able
to beat back criminalization of SCNT research, which was a huge victory. But
we did not win even national permissions for stem cell research beyond the
narrow Bush approach, let alone any increase of funding.

There is much to be done on the national level, no question about it.  I
support a major funding increase for the National Institutes of Health, a
complete rejection of the Dickey Amendment, and a moon shot-sized effort to
advance embryonic stem cell research.

But that is not enough. We need the state efforts; they offer power. To name
our most shining example, would anyone wish subtract California's
magnificent stem cell program, the most important funding in our field?

Below (in alphabetical order) is my best estimate of where the state stem
cell money is now. Please understand this is an individual's list, aided and
abetted by friends, but still doubtless flawed and incomplete.

The California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM)'s $3,000,000,000
(three billion) over ten years is the largest source of embryonic stem cell
research funding in the world.  By early spring of 2008, the CIRM will have
dedicated more than $400 million to training, facilities and embryonic stem
cell research grants. Pride compels me to note that California was also the
first state to fund embryonic stem cell research, through the Roman Reed
Spinal Cord Injury Research Act of 1999, named after my son.

Connecticut: supported by Gov. M. Jody Rell, Connecticut currently provides
$10 million a year for ESCR (Embryonic Stem Cell Research) spread over ten
years.
Indiana has a small amount of money, about $50,000, invested in adult stem
cell research at Indiana University.
Illinois: Gov. Rod Blagojevich has directed roughly $20 million (not sure
what mix of adult to embryonic) to the Illinois Regenerative Medicine
Institute thus far.
Iowa: PENDING:  Governor Chet Culver has proposed a $12.5 million Institute
for Regenerative Medicine at University of Iowa.
Maryland: the Maryland Stem Cell Research Act of 2006 has appropriated $15
million for funding of (mixed adult and embryonic) stem cell research, of
which $9 million has been distributed.  Including funding carryovers, the
state appears to have a total of $23 million available in 2008.
Massachusetts: the University of Massachusetts was given one million in
state money to set up a stem cell institute. Additionally, a life sciences
center was set up with ten million in funding, from which stem cell research
may derive. PENDING is a bill for $1,000,000,000 (one billion) over ten
years.  Governor Deval Patrick's bill appears to be primarily for
infrastructure: education, tax breaks to encourage  the biomedical industry,
gap funding (supplemental funds for researchers when federal money is
promised, but slow to arrive) and it is unclear (at least to me) how much is
dedicated to research grants.
New Jersey:  Governor Corzine's legislation authorized $270 million in
facilities grants, and an additional $10 million for stem cell research.
The larger attempt, the New Jersey Stem Cell Research Bond Act ($450 million
over ten years for stem cell research of all types) failed, primarily for
lack of a campaign budget.  To my knowledge, their campaign had a total of
barely half a million (California's Proposition 71 raised $30 million for
that campaign)-- to go up against the vast power of the Catholic church, the
largest property holder on earth, which worked all year to defeat the bill.
New Mexico: Governor Bill Richardson has allocated funds of roughly $6
million in 2008, a blend of facilities ($3.8 million) and research grants
($2.2 million).
 New York: Governor Elliott Spitzer has authorized $600 million over ten
years for stem cell research, with a seeming preference for embryonic stem
cells.
Ohio: has spent $19.4 million on adult stem cell research.  This state
recently changed its laws to allow some funding for Bush-approved ESCR
lines, and last year dedicated $8 million additional funding to their Center
for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine.
Texas: an unknown quantity. The just-passed $3 billion Lance Armstrong-led
Cancer Act neither mentions nor prohibits embryonic stem cell research;
however, current state leadership promises no such research will be funded.
On the adult stem cell front, it is my understanding that $41.1 million has
been allocated for research at the University of Texas.
Washington State: their Life Sciences Discovery Fund ($350 million tobacco
settlement) has no specific stem cell set-asides, but in theory could be
used for stem cell research.
14. Wisconsin: Governor Doyle established a $750 million investment fund,
Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery, a mix of public and private funds, some
of which will be used to build a research facility. It is my understanding
that Governor Doyle also has a special one million dollar incentive for
companies who start up embryonic stem cell efforts.
 As of this Thanksgiving, and for the foreseeable future, the states are
where the action is.

Don Reed
www.stemcellbattles.com

Don C. Reed is co-chair (with Karen Miner) of Californians for Cures, and
writes for their web blog,  www.stemcellbattles.com. Reed was
citizen-sponsor for California's Roman Reed Spinal Cord Injury Research Act
of 1999, named after his paralyzed son; he worked as a grassroots advocate
for California's Senator Deborah Ortiz's three stem cell regulatory laws,
served as an executive board member for Proposition 71, the California Stem
Cells for Research and Cures Act, and is director of policy outreach for
Americans for Cures. The retired schoolteacher is the author of five books
and thirty magazine articles, and has received the National Press Award.

Rayilyn Brown
Board Member AZNPF
Arizona Chapter National Parkinson's Foundation
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