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The Cybercast News Service Specter Presses for Embryonic Stem Cell Research By Christine Hall CNSNews.com Staff Writer May 23, 2003 (CNSNews.com) - Should President Bush reverse his decision to ban federal funds for embryonic research? A prominent member of the president's party thinks so. Citing ethical concerns about performing medical research on human embryos, President Bush decided in 2001 that federal tax dollars would not be used to fund embryonic stem cell research, except on existing cell lines. But Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) is hoping to find a way around that, either by persuading the president to soften his position or through legislation to change the status quo. Specter held a hearing on Thursday to press the matter, but conservatives and scientists were busy promoting the virtues of stem cells derived from umbilical cords. "We know these [cord] cells now can change into cells of non-blood tissues. Because of that, the potential for other cellular therapies in the next decade will be enormous," said Dr. Joanne Kurtzberg of Duke University Medical Center at a Capitol Hill briefing hosted by Sen. Sam Brownback (R-Tenn.). Umbilical cord blood can be used to treat a variety of life- threatening diseases, such as leukemia, other cancers and blood and immune disorders. In the past few years, hundreds of patients have received cord blood treatment. "We now have a healthy 3-year-old son, his name is Spencer Barsh, and core blood saved his life," said Steve Barsh, vice president of the Stop ALD Foundation. Barsh's son was diagnosed with adrenoleukodystrophy (ALD) and successfully treated with a core blood transplant. "Cord blood banks must be financed and funded so they can operate at break-even, not at a continual deficit, potentially having to close," Barsh urged. But over at the Senate subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, other experts and patients were urging the use of stem cells extracted from human embryos. "Leading scientists inform us that embryonic stem cells have significant potential to treat conditions like Parkinson's, Rett Syndrome and autoimmune diseases," testified Jim Cordy, a Parkinson's sufferer. "Federal funding is integral to finding the promise behind the potential - it is imperative not just for my sake, but for the sake of so many Americans." "There is little doubt we would be much closer today to employing the technologies for repairing and replacing human tissues using stem cells" if scientists could use federal tax dollars, said Dr. Roy Ogle, a developmental biologist and professor of neurosurgery and cell biology at the University of Virginia Medical School. "There are reported to be many human embryos in the United States, which are frozen and would be donated for research purposes if allowed, or otherwise destroyed," said Ogle. "While ethical debates continue on creation of embryos for research, can we not make use of those no longer needed for reproduction?" But GOP sources doubt that the Specter effort will go far in winning presidential approval or in getting help from a Senate controlled by Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.), who has aligned his rhetoric with the president's. E-mail a news tip to Christine Hall. [log in to unmask] Send a Letter to the Editor about this article. [log in to unmask] SOURCE: The Cybercast News Service http://www.cnsnews.com/ViewPolitics.asp?Page=%5CPolitics%5Carchive%5C2 00305%5CPOL20030523a.html * * * ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn