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            comment form site:   http://nihoerextra.nih.gov/stem_cells/add.htm 

             
            Suggested Comment Text:

            Embryonic stem cell research holds great promise for millions of Americans suffering from many diseases and disorders.  I am not a scientist, but I am a member/friend of the Parkinson's community and have been following progress in this field with great interest.  Significant strides have been made over the past decade, and the final guidelines issued by NIH must build on this progress so that cures and new therapies can get to patients as quickly as possible.  The final guidelines should not create new bureaucratic hurdles that will slow the pace of progress.  

            I am pleased that these draft guidelines -- in Section II B -- would appear to permit federal funding of stem cell lines previously not eligible for federal funding and for new lines created in the future from surplus embryos at fertility clinics. However, as drafted, Section II B does not ensure that any current stem cell line will meet the criteria outlined and thus be eligible for federal funding.  It will be important for the final guidelines to allow federal funds for research using all stem cell lines created by following ethical practices at the time they were derived.  This will ensure that the final guidelines build on progress that has already been made.  

            I also believe that the final guidelines should permit federal funding for stem cell lines derived from sources other than excess IVF embryos, such as somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT).  Sections II B and IV of the draft guidelines do not permit such federal funding and I recommend that the final guidelines provide federal funding using stem cell lines derived in other ways.  If not, it is essential that the NIH continue to monitor developments in this exciting research area and to update these guidelines as the research progresses.

            To learn more about human embryonic stem cell research, please visit the Coalition for the Advancement of Medical Research at www.camradvocacy.org. 
     
     
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Rayilyn Brown
Director AZNPF
Arizona Chapter National Parkinson Foundation
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