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Japanese School Makes Human Stem Cells NATALIE OBIKO PEARSON Associated Press Posted on Thu, Jan. 15, 2004 TOKYO - A Japanese university has produced the country's first human embryonic stem cells, a development that could spur biotechnology research here if the government approves them for use. Norio Nakatsuji, who heads Kyoto University's Institute for Frontier Medical Sciences, said he and his colleagues have produced enough cells to meet Japan's research needs. "We're ready to distribute. We're just waiting for the projects to pass government approval," Nakatsuji said. Government approval could come as soon as this month. Embryonic stem cells can develop into virtually any kind of cell of the body. Scientists hope to use them to produce healthy tissue for people with debilitating diseases such as Parkinson's or diabetes. The cells are isolated from human embryos produced in laboratories. Researchers extract the stem cells at an early stage, when the embryo is little more than a hollow ball of cells known as a blastocyst. This process kills the embryo and has put stem cell research at the center of an international debate over when human life begins. Because of such ethical concerns, Japan strictly monitors this field of science. In the United States, stem cell research is permitted in California and New Jersey, and bills are pending in Illinois and New York. Japan only allows the use of surplus embryos that were created for fertility treatment and headed for disposal. The government also requires both public and private institutions to submit research proposals that must pass an elaborate system of checks before they can obtain stem cells. The Kyoto institute, which receives public funding, got the go-ahead in April 2002 to produce stem cells from human embryos. The only place authorized in the country to do so, it now has three groups of cells, or three lines, available for study. About 10 research groups are awaiting approval to use them. Stem cell research has been hampered abroad by religious and intellectual property disputes and the poor quality of the cells themselves. Having a reliable, homegrown source of stem cells addresses those problems, experts here say. But commercial or clinical trials using Japanese cells are a long way off. The three Japanese cell lines were grown using mouse "feeder" cells - a technique that rules them out for clinical trials. The method grows human stem cells atop embryonic mouse cells to help sustain them. Experts say the method is too risky for practical use since it could introduce animal viruses that cannot be controlled by the human immune system. "These cells can only be used for research. For clinical use, they would have to be made from scratch," Nakatsuji said. Researchers abroad also will not likely benefit from the increased availability of stem cells in Japan. "At this point, sending stem cells overseas is probably not possible," Nakatsuji said. ON THE NET Japanese guidelines for the derivation and usage of human embryonic stem cells in English: http://www.shigen.nig.ac.jp/escell/human/guidelinesTop.jsp SOURCE: Miami Herald, FL http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/breaking_news/7716500.htm * * * ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn