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Bush won't carry stem cell research to term By Red Herring June 28, 2001 This article is from the July 15, 2001, issue of Red Herring magazine. As expected, the Bush administration is putting the brakes on embryonic stem cell research by freezing federal funding for the controversial method. If the ban on funding sticks, it would put the administration squarely at odds with the mainstream scientific community, which almost universally supports the use of embryonic stem cells for research. Embryonic stem cells are cherished by researchers because theoretically the cells are programmable, capable of being triggered to develop into any type of cell in the human body. The hope is that they can be used to replace dead, dying, or missing cells, thereby opening up new treatments for diabetes, cancer, heart disease, and Parkinson's disease. The technique is controversial, because some believe a human embryo, regardless of its stage of development, is a human being, and appropriating it is unethical. Proponents hold that, in fact, not exploiting these bountiful embryonic stem cells to improve or save lives is unethical. Under the Clinton administration, research on embryonic stem cells was allowed as long as federal money was not used to fund harvesting of the cells from embryos. In March, Nightlight Christian Adoptions, a religious organization that finds adopters for embryos, sued the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, seeking to make the Clinton guidelines illegal. In May, the Bush administration's stricter anti-embryonic research stance prompted actor and disabled rights activist Christopher Reeve and seven prominent scientists to file suit, seeking to overturn the ban. "Talented researchers will stay away from stem cell research" without the freedom to work on embryonic stem cells, says Jeffrey Martin, an attorney with Shea & Gardner in Washington, D.C., who is representing the plaintiffs. Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson has said the review of the issue will conclude this summer. CELL SIDE The influence of stem cell research on the medical industry could equal that of genomic research, says Michael West, founder of Geron (Nasdaq: GERN) and CEO of Advanced Cell Technology, the two lone companies working with embryonic stem cells. Due in part to the ongoing controversy, some biotech firms have explored other options, like using adult stem cells, which are derived from adult tissues and have demonstrated the ability to differentiate into many types of cells. Still, some researchers suspect their potential is limited when compared with embryonic stem cells. While a ban will not squelch the promising field of cell therapy in the United States (see "The new physical therapy," May 1 & 15), it would certainly stifle research. As the U.S. dithers, the UK biotech industry -- the world's second largest -- presses on, with the full support of the British government. Write to [log in to unmask] http://www.redherring.com/index.asp?layout=story&channel=10000001&doc_id=1250019725&rh_special_report_id= * * * ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn