Scientists Await Action On Stem Cells

Washington Post: Some Proponents Had Expected Obama to Immediately Reverse Bush Policies

(Washingtonpost.com)  This story was written by Rob Stein.

---

At the National Institutes of Health, officials have started drafting guidelines they will need to start funding human embryonic stem cell research that has been off-limits for nearly eight years.

At the University of California at San Francisco, scientists are poised to dismantle the cumbersome bureaucracy they created to segregate experiments that were acceptable under the federal restrictions from studies that were not.

At the Harvard Stem Cell Institute in Cambridge, Mass., graduate students and other scientists paid with federal grants are eagerly awaiting the day when they can contribute their eureka moments to projects that are forbidden under the current policy.

But in the month since Inauguration Day, the moment they have been awaiting has not come, prompting some to ask: When will President Obama deliver on his campaign promise to lift one of the most contentious policies imposed by his predecessor?

"Everyone is waiting with bated breath," said George Daley, a leading stem cell scientist at Children's Hospital in Boston. "We're all waiting to breathe a huge sigh of relief."

President George W. Bush imposed the restriction in 2001, limiting federal funding to studies of cell lines that were already in existence on that date to prevent tax dollars from encouraging the destruction of more embryos.

The limitation, welcomed by those who believe that destroying human embryos is immoral, has been denounced by many scientists for severely hindering research on hundreds of new cell lines developed since then. Such cells could lead to cures for a host of ailments because they can become any type of tissue in the body, they say.

Proponents expected Obama to lift the restriction in his first week in office, when he issued a flurry of executive orders to close the prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, make government less secretive and lift a ban on funding international family planning groups that support abortion, among other things.

"We were surprised and disappointed it wasn't in there," said Amy Comstock Rick of the Coalition for the Advancement of Medical Research, which has been leading the lobbying effort to lift the restriction. "We're wondering why it's taking so long."

Advocates on both sides still expect Obama to act. Obama repeated his promise in a private meeting with House Democrats last week, and top adviser David Axelrod said on "Fox News Sunday" that the president is "considering" an executive order and will act soon.

But the delay and the vague language are making proponents nervous. Has Obama simply been too preoccupied with the economic crisis to focus on the issue? Is he hesitant to wade into one of the flashpoints of the culture wars? Could he even be considering a moderate move as part of his broad strategy of seeking the middle ground on even the most contentious issues?

"The word the president is 'considering' it is too vague a word for me," Rick said. "I don't know entirely what that means. If it means he's just working out the details, that's great. But if 'considering' means 'reconsidering' we would be very upset."

In response to a query, White House spokesman Reid H. Cherlin wrote in an e-mail: "The president has made it clear that increasing stem cell research is a priority for his administration, and he'll be acting soon to reverse restrictions on this critical science."

Not everyone, of course, is disappointed by the delay.

"We continue to oppose federal funding of research that destroys human embryos," said David Christensen of the Family Research Council. "We don't think the federal government should fund or create an incentive to destroy human life."

Some opponents have suggested that Obama might qualify his executive order to try to take the sting out of the move. Proponents, however, hope Obama will simply lift the restriction without caveats and let the NIH work out the details. In anticipation, the NIH has started drafting guidelines that would address the many ethical issues raised by the research, using as models templates compiled by the National Academy of Sciences and the International Society for Stem Cell Research.

"We want to be able to move as quickly as possible," said Story Landis, who heads NIH's stem cell task force. "The science is waiting."

Among the issues the guidelines will address is whether funding should be limited to cells from leftover embryos that are destined for destruction at infertility clinics.

"We are assuming that what we will be asked to do is develop guidelines for stem cell lines derived from embryos produced for reproductive purposes in excess of need," Landis said.

Proponents of the research hope the executive order and resulting NIH guidelines would be more open-ended than that, allowing research on stem cells derived in other ways. But that would make the move even more controversial.

Although the guidelines will need to be approved by the Health and Human Services Department and undergo 30 days of public comment before becoming final, Landis said she expects that the NIH could approve the first supplemental grants to current grantees to study new cell lines within four months and the first new grants within six to nine months.

"If I were a smart scientist, I would be writing a grant right now," said Landis, noting that some of the $10 billion the NIH will receive as part of the stimulus package could be used to expand stem cell research.

The 21 cell lines that scientists are permitted to study under the Bush policy have a variety of shortcomings, critics say. Many, for example, may have defects that could make them dangerous to transplant into people. But perhaps more important, hundreds of newer lines have been developed that offer a host of opportunities. Many lines, for example, carry defects for specific diseases, which could provide crucial insights into Parkinson's disease, Lou Gehrig's disease, diabetes and other devastating ailments.

"People with these diseases are running out of time every day," said Lawrence A. Soler of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. "That's why we need this to move forward as soon as possible."

Opponents have argued that research on human embryonic stem cells has become unnecessary because of scientific advances in the interim, including promising studies involving adult stem cells and the ability to turn adult cells into cells that appear to have many of the properties of embryonic cells.

"We think the science has bypassed the debate," Christensen said. "We think the administration would be better served to advance that kind of stem cell research."

But many scientists say it remains far from clear which cells will ultimately lead to the most important advances, making it crucial to continue to study those cells along with embryonic cells.

Whatever Obama does, Congress is also likely to get involved by considering legislation designed to prevent any future presidents from reinstating restrictions.

"We need to codify the opening up of the research so it doesn't turn into a Ping-Pong ball of administrations," said Rep. Diana DeGette (D-Colo.), who noted that the legislation could address another potential roadblock: the perennial Dickey-Wicker amendment that prohibits federal funding of research involving human embryos. She has been consulting with the White House on both issues.

[rj_mountain]

What ever happened to INVESTIGATIVE reporting? Embryonic stem cell research has only produced cancer cells. Stem Cell research has been funded for years and wash increased, yes, by the Bush administration. Stem cell research already cures over 40 different diseases, including some paralysis. WAKE UP YOU OBAMA BLIND!!!! This is only a bill to fund Planned Parenthood. Where is CBS's investigating and truth reporting core?

[pearee]

--Ugh hate typo's. One more TIME!
Ok-- There goes the neighborhood.

Its already making people sound like idiots. The point from is it right is it wrong is anyone's opionion, though we all know deep down its wrong. Some of us are just to selfish to see the wrong. Only caring about themselves and their own lives. HOWEVER- We have way more important things to worry about than funding abortions over seas, funding for more stem cell research, giving more bailouts to companies that are not going to survive with or with out a bail out. We have things such as our ECONOMY to be worried about. How about when we are out of a recession- worry about all these other things. All I ever hear is how our children should not be left with our debts to pay, yet it seems our money is going to ridiculious things. Heck China pretty much owns us anyways. We are in so much debt with them its not even funny. How about lifting the bill that CLINTON (not Bush sorry lol) signed that made it ok for our industries to go over seas- thus taking our jobs. That sounds way more important and better than giving more funds to stem cell research, which hasn't been doing much good. And its been funded for a while now. Lets just give them more money to blow huh? Why don't people use their heads?

[pearee]

There goes the neighborhood.

Its already making people sound like idiots. The point from is it right is it wrong is anyone's oppionion, though we all know deep down its wrong. Some of us are just to selfish to see the wrong. Only caring about themselves and their own lives. HOWEVER- We have way more importannt things to worry about than funding abortions over seas, funding for more stem cell research, giving more bailouts to companies are not going to survive with or wiht out a bail out. We have things such as our ECONOMY to be worried about. How about when we are out of recession- worry about all these other things. All I ever hear is how our children should not be left with our debts to pay, yet it seems our money is going to ridiculious things. Heck China pretty much owns us anyways. We are in so much debt with them its not even funny. How about lifting the bill that Bush signed that made it ok for our industries to go over seas- thus taking our jobs. That sounds way more important and better than giving more funds to stem cell research, which hasn't been doing much good. And its been funded for a while now. Lets just give them more money to blow huh? Why don't people use their heads?

[whodowetrust]

I would think CBS would have presented a balance report of stem cell research. There have been good news in human stem cell research of a persons own dna. I think you did not present a good report on the entire subject. Expaining the federal funds are the only thing holding this research back is just bias reporting.

[scienceman1-2009]

My wife is religious and I am not! However I would never try to convince her that she is wrong because she would look at LIFE WITHOUT HAPPINESS like I do.

Having said all that - we need this stem cell research PERIOD.

[honestabe8]

Free men do not need a messiah.

[honestabe8]

Let's see, the few thousand year old earth was created in 7 days by a being that was never born, will never die, has nothing like it, knocked up a 13 year old virgin, sent his son down to get executed to appease his own temper tantrum. This son turned water into wine, made it possible for one fish to feed a multitude of people, was executed and came back to life 3 days later. Tell me, TRUTHin20091...do you enjoy your fairy tale?

[honestabe8]

TRUTHin20091: As you believe in the great virgin boinker in the sky, you have a great deal of call calling Darwinism a fairy tale.

[abbe91]

"In a recent gallup poll only 39% of Americans believe in Darwinian evolution. You secularists still can''t convince everyone of your great god of nothingness fairy tale called Darwinian evolution
Posted by TRUTHin20091 at 09:34 PM : Feb 19, 2009"

Your bigotry is an insult to God.

[kansas1946]

Finally, maybe we can make some progress. The Bush administration did more to damage science that any other administration in recent history. It is nice to move out of the dark ages into the light.

[demslie2u2]

This subject is not about stem cells. Its about Democrats making abortion a happy little life saving event. Stem cells from adults will be available in unlimited quantities but, Democrats don't want them. They want to be happy about killing babies.

[truthin20091]

Nice to see the radical, anti-science, American-Taliban are losing ground every day in this country.





--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Posted by CaribouBarbi

In a recent gallup poll only 39% of Americans believe in Darwinian evolution. You secularists still can't convince everyone of your great god of nothingness fairy tale called Darwinian evolution

[nomealaska]

The power of selective thinking.... The wingnuts want to ban stem cells, abortion, and anything else they deem immoral based on their selective use of and narrow interpretation of the Bible. However, they are happy to eat the genetically modified corn and use the bioengineered drugs that result from real science. I support pretty much all pure research, but I don't want to eat modified foods and whatever drug de jour they are pushing. If the right wing would stop and read all those parts of the Bible that they denounce or ignore, then they might realize how stupid they are!

[brainteaser2]

mtminds: Even more baffling is the fact that a sexually active woman not using birth control aborts a fertilized egg (a living human being according to them) in about 66% of her cycles. We should be eulogizing menstrual sanitary products.

[mtminds]

Every month every woman aborts an egg. Men on the other hand abort thousands of their seeds each month one way or another. All this abortion goes on with the most fundamental Christians. Abortion is natural.

[cariboubarbi]

Nice to see the radical, anti-science, American-Taliban are losing ground every day in this country.

[neonutty]

"President George W. Bush imposed the restriction in 2001, limiting federal funding to studies of cell lines that were already in existence on that date"


Just one of the 'Giant Steps Backwards Into Darkness' brought to you by the Bushies. Now it's time to step into the light of the 21st century and put the 'Dark Ages' behind us.

We no longer have to abide by the ancient superstitions previously forced on us by the 'illiterate right'.

[likeitis5050]

How do they know it wasn't....have they read all 1100 pages of the stim pack....I'm sure they're in there somewhere!!!