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Hopkins Panel Warns Of Risk In U.S.-Appoved Stem Cells Lines unfit for humans because they might contain mouse viruses, experts find The Associated Press Originally published November 10, 2003, 12:20 PM EST Embryonic stem cell lines currently approved for federally funded research are inappropriate for human studies because they were initially grown on mouse cells and might contain mouse viruses, a Johns Hopkins medical panel said today. The panel warned against the potential risk of exposing a study participant to a mouse virus "in the face of safer alternatives." "Conducting a federally funded clinical trial of human ES cells, under current federal policy, would require using cell lines that none of us feel should be used in people, since it is now feasible to create safer lines," said Ruth Faden, a leader of the panel and executive director of Johns Hopkins bioethics institute. "So, all clinical trials -- and by extension the experiments leading to them -- should be conducted with newer cell lines not eligible for federal funding." The panel, which includes scientists, philosophers and lawyers, said the likelihood of getting to a clinical trial using only private funds is slim. "Moreover, the absence of federal funding would mean a reduced role for federal oversight of the ethics of human embryonic stem cell research," Faden said. Because stem cells can develop into any body part, scientists say they may hold out hope for one day being able to treat a variety of diseases, from Parkinson's to Alzheimer's to spinal cord injuries. But because embryos discarded from fertility clinics are a major source of embryonic stem cells, it has caused a national debate over reproduction and the beginning of human life. In April 2001, President Bush restricted federal funding to a small number of cell lines that had already been created. Bush has also called for a ban on human cloning -- both reproductive cloning to make babies and the cloning of embryos solely to cull stem cells for medical research. SOURCE: The Associated Press / Baltimore Sun, MD http://tinyurl.com/uexn * * * ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn