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Stem Cell Researcher Says Funding Ban Is Slowing Research WASHINGTON, Sep 16 (Reuters Health) - In a briefing for congressional staff here on Wednesday, stem cell pioneer Dr. John Gearhart of Johns Hopkins University said the prohibition on federal funding of research on human embryos was slowing the pace of discovery. He also said that without federal money, the research would be taken up in the private sector, which would make the whole process less open. As of now, the small group of scientists working in the stem cell area are talking with each other, sharing some discoveries, Dr. Gearhart said. And the ethical and moral debate has been kept public. "When everything is funded from the private side, the interactions aren't there," he stated. If the federal ban, which prevents researchers from using government money to derive or study stem cells from human embryos, had not been in place, "...the isolation of cells would have occurred sooner" in Dr. Gearhart's opinion. But, it was more important now to lift the ban, he said. "The next five years are critical," he explained. As an example, he said that if the funds and investigators were available, there could be major advances in treatment of Parkinson's disease, potentially within three to five years, because researchers have discovered much about making the cells that increase dopamine production in the brain. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is pursuing its plan to allow stem cell researchers to apply for federal funds for projects involving embryos. The National Bioethics Advisory Commission backed that plan in its final report on September 13. Dr. Gearhart called the NBAC report courageous, but told Reuters Health, "I don't think it's going to have much impact on the debate."