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Updated Monday, April 20, 2009 10:28 am TWN, By Nicole Gaouette and Rob Waters, Bloomberg



	House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat from California, left, looks through a microscope as Dr. Deepak Srivastava speaks about stem cell research at the Gladstone Institutes in San Francisco, California, on Friday, April 17. (Bloomberg News) Enlarge Photo

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Stem cell research rules proposed for new U.S. policy

Representatives Michael Castle, a Delaware Republican, and Diana DeGette, a Colorado Democrat, said they would introduce a bill to allow a broader range of research. The lawmakers sponsored legislation approved twice by Congress to overturn Bush's restrictions. He vetoed both bills, saying it was morally wrong to destroy embryos to develop stem cells.

Bush limited funding to embryonic stem cells created before his Aug. 9, 2001, order. In 2008, NIH awarded US$88 million of its US$938 million stem-cell budget for such research.

Limiting federal funds to only those lines created from leftover embryos may prevent newer techniques from being used as well as bar women from donating embryos to aid research, Solomon said.

“The goal, we thought, under the Obama administration, is to have science not politics, drive the research,” said Solomon said.

Stem cells derived from days-old human embryos have the potential to form any of the body's 200 or so cell types, such as nerve cells or brain cells, and to repair or replace damaged tissue or organs. Adult stem cells, found in living tissue, have a more limited potential to become other cell types.

The draft guidelines would require researchers to inform donors of all the options pertaining to use of the embryos. Donors would have to provide written consent and couldn't receive any inducement or money in exchange for the donation. They must also provide a statement saying the donation isn't intended to provide direct medical benefit to the donor.

Matthew Lensch, a scientist at Harvard's institute, said about 800 embryonic stem cell lines have been created in the past eight years based on his search of medical databases and scientific journals. “I feel confident in saying there are at least that many new lines out there and likely more,” he said in a March 6 telephone interview.

Kington defended the administration's decision to restrict funding to cells taken from embryos available from fertility clinics because there is “broad support in the public and scientific community,” for that research.

Kington said that in addition to gauging the public's view, the government looked at existing guidelines, such as those of the International Society for Stem Cell Research. The proposed rules also are influenced by ethical considerations, he said.

The guidelines will be published in the week ahead and available for public comment for 30 days. NIH will issue final rules on or before July 7, Kington said.

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