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Milwaukee Journal Sentinel HHS seeks advice on stem cell ethics Thompson discusses issue while touting funding for community health centers By MARILYNN MARCHIONE of the Journal Sentinel staff Last Updated: March 5, 2001 U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy G. Thompson says he'll appoint a panel of government researchers to advise him on the scientific issues involved in stem cell research, including whether it could be done without using cells from destroyed embryos. "I'm going to have a group of nationally known scientists from NIH (the National Institutes of Health) review the question of stem cell research," Thompson said at an appearance in Milwaukee on Monday. "They're going to look at the whole range of issues, scientifically, morally and what other ways that this research could be done. Is there another way? All those things are going to be taken into consideration." Thompson also said his department would continue to accept applications for stem cell research grants until March 15, a deadline set by the Clinton administration, but wouldn't decide whether to approve any until after a review of legal issues that will take four to five months. The issue is "whether or not the federal government has the right to give any dollars out for stem cells" because of a 1995 congressional ban on research that involves destroying embryos, he said. Clinton administration lawyers said federal funds could be used for research on existing stem cells as long as only private money had been used to obtain them. Stem cells are precursor "master cells" capable of maturing into any kind of human tissue. Researchers hope to be able to grow heart, muscle, nerve and other cells in lab dishes to treat a variety of illnesses and even avoid the need for many organ transplants. In fall 1998, the University of Wisconsin-Madison became the first research center to isolate and grow such cells from leftover embryos donated by couples at infertility clinics. Days later, a team at Johns Hopkins University announced a similar achievement using cells from aborted fetuses. Abortion foes and others oppose stem cell research because of the origin of the cells. The UW System Board of Regents will vote Friday on a resolution supporting federal funding. "Research on human embryonic stem cells has enormous potential to improve human health and is critical to finding treatments and cures for such diseases as Parkinson's, juvenile diabetes and Alzheimer's," the resolution says. "The board opposes any state or federal legislation or administrative action that would have the effect of slowing or banning research in this area." Thompson tours health center Thompson was in Milwaukee to tour the Sixteenth Street Community Health Center, which serves the mostly Hispanic population on the city's south side, and to promote President Bush's proposal to give an additional $124 million this year to such centers. About 11 million people get care at 3,000 community health center sites around the nation, and Bush wants to double the people served and increase the number of clinics by 40% over the next five years, Thompson said. "I love being back in Wisconsin," he said, adding that when the president asked him to talk up community health centers, "I said, 'I know exactly the place I want to come.' " "You're doing a great job," Thompson told one employee. "This is one of the best examples of community health centers in America. I hope to be back, and I hope to bring you more money." Milwaukee Health Commissioner Seth Foldy said Bush's goals are "great news." "Community health centers are the laboratories for innovative health improvement initiatives. They link clinical care with prevention," Foldy said. John Bartkowski, the center's chief executive officer, said Thompson had pledged support for plans to establish an asthma institute at Sixteenth Street that would combine community-based research, health education and prevention, and case management for children with asthma. "We will get top-notch, state-of-the-art treatment for asthma here," he said. In a news conference, Thompson praised the NIH, saying the best doctors and researchers in the world work there. Bush has proposed a 13% increase in the NIH budget for research. "I just think it's around the corner, and we're going to find that breakthrough" for AIDS, Alzheimer's disease and cancer, Thompson said. Appeared in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel on March 6, 2001. http://www.jsonline.com/news/state/mar01/tommy06030501a.asp