December 1, 1999
U.S. Proposes Tight Rules for Stem Cell Studies
By Lisa Richwine
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A U.S. health agency on Wednesday unveiled
proposals aimed at easing some ethical concerns over government-funded
controversial research on stem cells from human embryos that scientists
hope could yield treatments for a range of diseases.
The National Institutes of Health wants to hold researchers using public
dollars to tight ethical standards and conduct strict oversight of stem
cell studies, which scientists say hold great promise for medical
advances but opponents call immoral.
Among its proposals, the NIH would require that cells come from embryos
donated by people who had them conceived through in-vitro fertilization
in the hopes of having a baby, and were not made just for research
purposes.
Also, donors must give informed consent for handing over their unwanted
embryos to researchers and must not be paid for donating them, the
agency said. Private companies must harvest the cells.
In addition, the agency wants to prohibit federal funds for research
that would use stem cells to create a human embryo, to clone a human or
combine human stem cells with animal embryos.
Despite those restrictions, critics attacked the guidelines as providing
for government-funded killing of human embryos.
``For the first time, human embryos would be deliberately killed under
the sponsorship of the federal government,'' said Douglas Johnson,
legislative director for the National Right to Life Committee, an
anti-abortion group.
The guidelines pertain to so-called ``pluripotent'' cells, which can
develop into any kind of cell in the body.
``NIH understands and respects the ethical, legal and social issues
relevant to human pluripotent stem cell research,'' the agency said in
making its proposals.
``In light of these issues, the NIH plans to move forward in a careful
and deliberate way prior to funding any research using stem cells.''
The NIH will take public comments for 60 days before issuing final
guidelines.
Federal law prohibits research on human embryos, but Clinton
administration officials have said they thought stem cell research would
be legal if private firms cultivate the cells for studies.
But a U.S. senator said the new guidelines violate federal law.
Republican Sam Brownback of Kansas called the research ''illegal,
immoral and unnecessary.''
``The responsible thing to do is for government to serve human life in
ways that do not destroy life,'' Brownback said.
Researchers hope that stem cells can grow into tissues or possibly
complete organs for transplants. They think stem-cell research could
help fight ailments such as Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, juvenile diabetes
or heart disease.
A coalition of health groups that supports stem cell research welcomed
the NIH proposals, saying the group recognizes the controversy and the
need for restrictions.
The proposals ``will prompt the inclusion of the most scientists in the
research, thus speeding the day when therapeutic applications are
available,'' said Daniel Perry, chairman of the Patients' Coalition for
Urgent Research.
Copyright © 1996-1999 Reuters Limited.
Judith Richards, London, Ontario, Canada
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