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MASSACHUSETTS: Science Or Killing? Senate To Tackle Stem Cell Research By JULIE MEHEGAN Sun Statehouse Bureau Article Last Updated: Sunday, November 16, 2003 - 2:12:55 AM EST BOSTON Ron Bielicki has been a paraplegic for 20 years but holds onto the hope that he may walk again some day . Bielicki has tethered his dreams of walking onto the promises of stem cell research, and is backing a proposal in the Legislature in support of embryonic stem cell research in Massachusetts. "It could change my life, or it could change others who have been injured," said Bielicki, a board member of the Greater Boston chapter of the National Spinal Cord Injury Association. "I don't know if people who are against this feel the same way or see things the way we see things." To medical researchers, "generic" stem cells with the potential to regenerate and produce specialized tissues in the body hold the promise of life-changing medical advances in the fight against Parkinson's, Lou Gehrig disease and spinal cord injury. But to some people, one particular type of stem cell research conducted on cells derived from human embryos threatens the sanctity of life. Now the controversy has come to Beacon Hill, with a proposal by the Senate to spell out the state's support for embryonic stem cell research. It is part of an effort to attract and retain prized biotechnology companies, and is included in the Senate's version of a pending $115 million economic stimulus package that also includes research and development tax credits and other business incentives. The proposal asks lawmakers to declare that "human embryonic stem cell research ... (presents) a significant chance of yielding fundamental biological knowledge from which may emanate therapies to relieve, on a large scale, human suffering from disease and injury." The proposal also spells out that the state supports such research only on donated human embryos remaining after in- vitro fertilization, and it bans human cloning. Supporters note that the research in question is already taking place in Massachusetts. The language in the Senate bill would only clarify the definition of embryo under state law, which some say is vague and could prompt research companies to defect to more-welcoming states like California, which passed a similar law last year. It is also meant to send a signal to researchers and biotechnology companies that the state welcomes their work. "It essentially memorializes the stem cell research and the promise that it holds for regenerative medicine," said Vicki Greene, a spokeswoman for the Massachusetts Biotechnology Council, pointing out that Massachusetts has the largest concentration of biotechnology companies in the world. "We think we need it to shore up our global leadership position in biotechnology." But critics of embryonic stem cell research want the scientific community to concentrate research efforts on adult stem cells, arguing there is little evidence that embryonic cells will open doors to medical advancements that adult stem cells cannot. Leading the fight against stem cell research is the Catholic Church, which argues that using human embryos for research violates the religious principle that life begins at conception. "It's a pernicious approach to public policy to say that in order to cure person A, we need to kill person B, and ignore or overshadow all of the ways of curing person A that don't involve killing anyone," said Daniel Avila, associate director for policy and research for the Massachusetts Catholic Conference, the lobbying arm of the church in Massachusetts. Some also argue that the language in the Senate proposal leaves the door open for cloning of human embryos for research purposes. But Sen. Cynthia Creem, a Newton Democrat who sponsored the Senate proposal, said critics have unfairly tried to align the discussion of stem cell research with the abortion debate. Creem said the legislation is clear that embryonic stem cell research could take place only on three- to five-day-old embryos that have been donated with the informed consent of the donor. "They sit there, they get old, or they get thrown away or discarded, or they stay frozen forever," Creem said. "There is so much promise there. Why would we limit it?" It is unclear whether the proposal in the Senate will survive negotiations with the House, which passed its own economic stimulus package without a section addressing stem cell research. A conference committee is negotiating a compromise that will be taken up this week. Even if the House agrees to go along with the Senate proposal, it is unclear if Gov. Mitt Romney would sign it. Romney, whose wife is battling multiple sclerosis, "sees tremendous potential" in stem cell research, said his spokeswoman, Shawn Feddeman, but he has not yet taken a position on the Senate proposal. The debate in Massachusetts mirrors an ongoing national debate over the ethical ramifications of stem cell research. In 2001, President George W. Bush limited federal funding for stem cell research projects to 70 existing embryonic stem cell lines, and appointed a national commission to study the issue. Julie Mehegan's e-mail address is [log in to unmask] SOURCE: Lowell Sun, MA http://www.lowellsun.com/Stories/0,1413,105~4746~1770288,00.html * * * ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn