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Clinton Administration Stem Cell Decision Called 'Important and Historic' by Alliance WASHINGTON, Jan. 19 /PRNewswire/ -- An Administration statement that human embryonic stem cells do not fall under the current federal ban on embryo research was hailed as "important and historic," by Alliance for Aging Research Executive Director Daniel Perry today in testimony before the National Bioethics Advisory Commission. Appearing before the NBAC earlier, National Institutes of Health Director Harold Varmus stated that the Clinton Administration believes the NIH has the authority to fund research using laboratory cultures of human stem cells in accordance with current law. Since November, when it was first reported that scientists have derived long-lived human cells that maintain the potential to be turned into any cell in the body, the research community has awaited a decision regarding NIH support for such research. For the past three years, Congressional appropriating committees have prohibited research that could risk injury or harm to human embryos. Concerns have been raised that the federal ban could be interpreted to apply to stem cells which are derived from early-stage embryos donated as a consequence of in vitro fertilization. That could have the effect of shutting out NIH and many academic researchers from studying highly promising new cell lines. "It is vitally important that the view expressed by Dr. Varmus today should prevail in federal policy," Perry told the bioethics commission. "If that view does prevail, it is likely many of the best prepared and best equipped research scientists in the nation will move quickly to begin revealing new insights into human cell biology, made possible by one of the most important discoveries of our time," he said. Human stem cells can be maintained indefinitely in laboratory conditions in an undifferentiated state. They have the potential to be turned into young cells that could function in any part of the body. Heart disease, Parkinsons, cancer, diabetes and cancer are among the diseases of aging that could possibly be treated in the future with products of stem cell technology. "The potential therapeutic impact of human embryonic stem cells in replacing cells and tissues damaged by disease or aging is enormous," Perry said. Martin K. Bayne 48/45 [log in to unmask]