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Balancing Act: German Stem Cell Research Recently embryonic stem cell research was again the subject of intense discussion in Germany. The result: such research is therefore possible only within narrow limits. Scientists such as Hans Schöler nevertheless believe that stem research in Germany can be productive - not least thanks to a hard-won recent change in the law. Hans Schöler is relieved: at last he has more time again for his stem cell research. The discussion forums with politicians and church representatives have cost the director of the Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine in Münster a lot of time and energy. Together with other scientists, Schöler fought for an extension of the scope for stem cell research in Germany. With success: according to the Stem Cell Act of 2008, he and his colleagues may now import, under certain conditions, human embryonic stem cell lines that were extracted before May 1, 2007. Hitherto allowed was import of only old stem cell lines, produced before January 1, 2002. "Now we in Germany will finally have the chance to work with excellent new lines and to compare our results to international research groups that also work with these cells", believes the molecular biologist, who returned to Münster from the United States in 2004. Schöler and his colleagues hope they will soon be able to heal serious illnesses such as cancer or Parkinson's disease and repair no longer functioning organs. In contrast to adult stem cells, embryonic stem cells are capable of developing into any cell in the human body. Strict regulations and a cut-off date Before the German parliament allowed the import of embryonic stem cells under specific conditions in 2002, the issue was the object of intense public discussion. Now a central Ethics Commission for Stem Cell Research (Zentrale Ethik-Kommission für Stammzellenforschung / ZES), composed of biologists, doctors and theologians, has permitted the importation of stem cells under strict conditions if they deem the research to be meaningful. Introduced along with the Stem Cell Act was the cut-off date regulation, similar to that stipulated in the United States for state funded research. It is intended to prevent the killing of embryos for scientific purposes. In accordance with this regulation, German researchers may work only with stem cells that existed prior to their planned research. The 2008 change in the German law has introduced one of the strictest regulations within Europe. In most countries researchers are allowed to use surplus embryos created by artificial insemination for their research. In Great Britain, Belgium and Sweden, so-called therapeutic cloning, that is, production of embryonic stem cells from genetically similar descendants, is also allowed. Only in Ireland research of any kind on embryonic stem cells is (still) banned. Small, but important In Germany, the scope for embryonic stem cell research differs from state to state. While North Rhine-Westphalia wants to bring scientists and their various programmes to state universities and institutes, they are not always welcome in Catholic states such as Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg. In general, the sums available for research remain limited. "Between 2000 and 2007 we funded projects in stem cell research with 65 million euros", says Tobias Grimm of the German Research Foundation (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft / DFG), the most important German research-funding organisation. "Of those monies, however, only about eight million euros went to human embryonic stem cell research. The predominant share went to researchers that worked with adult stem cells". Altogether, in the same period of time the DFG supported the large field of the life sciences with 320 million euros. "Stem cell research in Germany is thus a relevant research area, but not a very big one", says Grimm. According to information from the Robert Koch Institute, the central medical research institution in Germany, 33 research groups have up to now received permission to import embryonic stem cells. The tendency will increase, surmises Grimm. Beginning this year, it will be simpler for researchers to import new cells. "Stem cell research is essential" Critics of the change in the stem cell research law fear that in a few years scientists will again press for a deferral of the now fixed cut-off date. Whether or not that will be the case Hans Schöler cannot say. Knowledge of the versatile all-rounder is growing so rapidly that one day scientists may no longer need to produce stem cells from embryos. Schöler's own research is in just this field. Only recently he and his co-researchers succeeded in retransforming the cells of a grown mouse into their original embryonic state with gentler and safer methods than before. Nevertheless, Schöler does not want to rely completely on cell reprogramming. "Many ways lead to the same goal" is his credo. "Research on both adult and embryonic stem cells is essential, so that the whole therapeutic potential can be utilised". Why his field of research has repeatedly been the object of intense discussion in Germany he cannot say. His personal opinion is that particularly church circles have difficulties with stem cell research and make their influence felt in politics. He has, however, been able to gain something positive from the discussions: "In this way we enter into conversation with people who look at our field of research from quite another angle and who have thought very deeply about it". Dorothee Bürkle The author works as a science journalist and editor for the Deutschen Zentrums für Luft- und Raumfahrt (DLR) in Cologne. She worked on the Stammzelldossier des WDR, which received the Adolf Grimme Award. Translation: Jonathan Uhlaner Copyright: Goethe-Institut e.V., Online-Redaktion Rayilyn Brown Director AZNPF Arizona Chapter National Parkinson Foundation [log in to unmask] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn