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The San Francisco Business Times From the May 9, 2003 print edition Biotech industry edges closer to stem-cell research Daniel S. Levine While Congress considers legislation that would impose a 10-year prison sentence and a $1 million fine for anybody caught cloning human embryos, California is considering legislation that could allow the state to become a haven for embryonic stem cell research. Last fall, California passed legislation meant to make a policy statement about the state's support of embryonic stem cell research. Now lawmakers are deciding whether it will back those words with the money and mechanism to do it. "The desire to establish state funds for stem cell research, especially for the kinds that are permitted in California, but certainly not funded by the U.S. government or any of its agencies, is important and may be the only way to get this research going," said Irv Weissman, professor at Stanford Medical School and director of the Stanford Institute for Cancer/Stem Cell Biology and Medicine. The Bush administration already restricted federal funding for human embryonic stem cell research to certain cell lines already in use. The threat of additional prohibitions, including criminalization of the research, has steered researchers away from the work and sent others overseas to conduct work in more welcoming settings. "Whether it's how disease works or the origins of disease, it's part of this same freedom of research that this country has traditionally funded," said state Sen. Deborah Ortiz, D-Sacramento, who has introduced a set of bills to promote stem cell research in California. "Here we are not only not supporting it on a federal level, but also proposing to criminalize it. It's such an odd ideological position that drives such important policy." The Roman Catholic Church and anti-abortion groups oppose human embryonic stem cell research because to extract the cells requires the destruction of an embryo, which some see as tantamount to murder. But researchers believe work with embryonic stem cells, which can develop into virtually any specialized cell within the body, could lead to treatments for a broad range of health problems ranging from spinal injuries to diabetes as well as provide an understanding for the mechanism of genetic-based diseases. If passed, the legislation could help establish the Bay Area as a leading center for stem cell research and commercialization of it. "This is a very exciting area with tremendous potential. What California is trying to do in these bills is really leading the nation in this area," said Sandra Fried, a legislative director for the University of California. "California is at the forefront." Guidelines and funding The Ortiz bills passed the Senate Committee on Health & Human Services last month and are pending in the Senate Appropriations Committee. One bill, SB 778, would create a mechanism for funding facilities and research for stem cells through general obligation bonds. No amount has been attached to the legislation yet, but capitol staffers say funding could add up to $1 billion over a 10-year period. The funding would be available to private and public sector researchers. Companion bill SB 332 would establish a research council that would develop guidelines for stem cell research in the state, and SB 771 would establish a state-level embryo registry for stem cell research. Supporters of the bills include research institutes and life science industry organizations. Opponents, which include California Pro-Life Council, California Catholic Conference and the Campaign for California Families, said they don't oppose the use of adult stem cells, but said the use of human embryonic stems cells is a case of the ends not justifying the means. "Pro-life people and their families suffer from the same diseases and complications of life as everyone else. We have disabled members. We have children and family members with diabetes and Parkinson's and Alzheimer's," said Jan Carroll, legislative analyst for the California Pro-Life Council. "We simply have a sense of horror that we would be attempting to cure these people by killing another human being in order to derive what they think they need to do that." Challenge ahead The bond measure requires a two-thirds majority to pass. If successful, it would then have to muster a two-thirds majority in a statewide election before it could be implemented. "Clearly moving the bond bill through the Senate, let alone both houses is going to be a challenge because of the politics of stem cell research," said Ortiz. "Additionally, with California's financial situation, new indebtedness can be a challenge as well. "This is an effort to raise the issue and see if it gets through the Legislature this year and work through the policy issues." Daniel S. Levine covers biotechnology for the San Francisco Business Times. SOURCE: The San Francisco Business Times http://sanfrancisco.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/stories/2003/05/12/st ory3.html * * * ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn