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FROM: The Houston Chronicle July 01, 2004, Thursday 3 STAR EDITION SECTION: A; Pg. 27 HEADLINE: Texas association endorses stem-cell studies; Nation's largest state physician group calls for relaxed regulation of research BYLINE: TODD ACKERMAN, Houston Chronicle Medical Writer The nation's largest state physicians association has endorsed stem-cell research, adding to the pressure building on President Bush to relax restrictions on the controversial field. The Texas Medical Association's resolution supporting research on embryonic stem cells follows the endorsements of 48 Nobel laureates, a group of Democrats and Republicans in Congress, numerous patient advocacy groups and, most recently, Nancy Reagan. "Stem cells have the potential to provide cures or treatment for many devastating diseases," said Dr. Leo Cigarroa, chairman of the TMA's council on scientific affairs, which authored the resolution. "Ethical considerations, which often arise when a field of research is new, should be evaluated as research proceeds." Cigarroa, a family practitioner, said he hopes the endorsement, along with others, persuades Bush to expand federal funding for stem-cell research. Cigarroa said he doesn't think "the good Lord intended people to spend the last 20 years of their life in debilitating conditions." Embryonic stem cells are considered the key to regenerative medicine, which scientists say is the future of health care. Retrieved from 5-day-old human embryos, stem cells can morph into virtually every kind of tissue, providing a potentially bottomless source of replacement parts for organs involved in disorders such as diabetes and Parkinson's. But because living human embryos are destroyed in the production of stem cells, many abortion opponents and conservatives oppose the research. They argue it should not be allowed because it ends a human life. To find a middle ground, Bush announced a policy in August 2001 allowing federal funding for research on stem cell lines already in existence but prohibited it for the creation of new lines. A federal registry lists 78 lines; 19 are usable for research. The Texas Medical Association House of Delegates' resolution, passed in May but only widely disseminated Wednesday, supports research on embryonic, umbilical cord blood and adult stem cells. It opposes cloning for the purpose of creating a human child. One physician testified in opposition to the proposal, citing philosophical reasons. The opponent, Dr. Beverly Nuckols, said, "I don't believe any human has a right to kill another human and, by species definition, these embryos are human beings." The association represents more than 39,500 physician and medical student members, the most of any of the nation's state medical societies. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn