Policy Memo: Bush Administration First to Fund Embryonic Stem Cell Research

Dems Extreme Makeover ^ | July 27, 2004

[RWR8189]

The President’s Decision is Based on Ethical Principle

In August 2001, President George W. Bush made a decision about the complex and difficult issue of the Federal government’s role in embryonic stem cell research. For the first time ever, he allowed Federal research funds to be used in embryonic stem cell research. The President’s decision was based on a determination that we should not cross a fundamental moral line by using Federal funds to encourage or support the destruction of a human embryo.

• Bipartisan Support for ethical treatment of human embryos: The principle that human embryos merit respect as a form of human life -- and that the Federal government should not encourage their destruction -- has been accepted on a bipartisan basis for a number of years. Every year since 1996, Congress has adopted legislative language stating that Federal funds may not be used in research involving the destruction of human embryos.
  • Broad Support Internationally: This principle also receives broad support internationally. Many European countries including France, Germany, Austria, Spain, and Ireland ban altogether the destruction of human embryos to create stem cell lines.

    The President Supports Exploring the Promise of Stem Cell Research

    President Bush understands the pain of individuals and their families suffering through a terrible illness. The President remains committed to fully exploring the promise and potential of stem cell research without violating ethical principles and while maintaining respect for all human life. In keeping with this commitment, the Administration:

  • Provided FY03 funding of $24.8 million for human embryonic stem cell research, an increase of 132 percent from FY02.

  • In FY03 the Administration provided $190.7 million for human non-embryonic stem cells (adult stem cells, including those from cord blood, placenta, and bone marrow).

  • The Bush Administration was the first to provide Federal funding for embryonic stem cell research.

  • Revised NIH rules regarding the segregation of private and publicly-funded research, which has enabled researchers to participate in privately-funded stem cell research without compromising their ability to receive NIH funding from separate projects.

  • Funds three research centers to promote multi-disciplinary research on embryonic stem cells. Nine intramural labs at NIH are now involved in embryonic stem cell research. Some of these researchers are engaged in a project to comprehensively analyze the properties of the stem cell lines that are eligible for Federal funding, which will provide researchers with valuable information.

  • Developed five training courses to help American scientists acquire the needed skills and techniques to culture embryonic stem cell lines and a special educational fellowship to encourage young researchers to enter the field.

    The State of Embryonic Stem Cell Science

    The lines available for Federal funding, and the other lines used in private research, are being employed to address the basic biologic questions that must be answered before the cells can be used in human therapies. It is not possible for any researcher to say with certainty whether additional lines will produce effective treatments for any disease.

  • The President developed a policy that will allow us to explore the promise of stem-cell research, and do so in a way that doesn't cross a clear moral threshold.

  • We are still at a phase where we are conducting the basic research so that we can better understand the promise of stem-cell research. There's a lot we don't know at this point.

  • We all advocate finding a cure for Alzheimer's and many other diseases. There are embryonic stem cells available for research, and adult stem cell research holds great promise as well.

    Number of Lines Available for Federal Funding

    The Administration has also worked to make stem cell lines widely available to interested researchers.

  • 78 derivations of human embryonic stem cells meet the criteria established by the President and listed on the NIH Registry, although since the announcement 16 of these derivations failed to grow into lines that would be usable for research.

  • All 78 derivations are privately owned by research companies or institutions. However, with assistance from NIH, owners of 19 of the lines have agreed to make their lines available for use at cost by researchers in the U.S. or abroad. Four other derivations are being developed into lines today and will be available in the near future for Federal funding. Still others are being preserved by their owners until the science develops further. No other country in the world has made as many stem cell lines widely available.

  • Researchers in the United States and abroad are taking advantage of the opportunity to use these lines. As of February 2004, 409 shipments of stem cell lines from the NIH Registry have been sent to researchers for their use in projects such as efforts to unravel the signals that make stem cells unique and research to better understand how stem cells can be used to treat Parkinson’s disease.

  • The National Institutes of Health plans to spend $18 million over four years to establish three "centers of excellence," which will speed research on the currently available cell lines.

    Private and State Funding for Embryonic Stem Cell Research is Available

    The President’s policy places no obstacles in the path of private or state funding of stem cell research -- researchers are receiving support from both, in addition to support from the Federal government.

  • One study, based on 2002 data, reports that private sector research and development in stem cells was being conducted by approximately 1000 scientists in over 30 firms. Aggregate spending was estimated at $208 million (Lysaght, J.J. and Hazlehurst, A.L.., "Private Sector Development of Stem Technology and Therapeutic Cloning" Tissues Engineering 9(3): 555-561 (2003)). Geron Corporation alone has reported that it spent more that $70 million on stem cell research by September 2003.

  • In the Stem Cell Business News Guide to Stem Cell Companies (Feb 2003), 61 U.S. and international companies are listed as pursuing some form of research or therapeutic product development involving stem cells.

  • Just recently, Harvard University announced that it has raised private funds to create a stem cell institute and to make 17 new lines available to researchers.

  • Some states ban the destruction of human embryonic stem cells for research. Some permit it but don’t fund it (consistent with Federal policy). And others provide funding.

  • As with most medical research, the effort to explore the promise of this science and to develop treatments and cures will require the combined efforts of both the public and private sector.

[YankeeDoodleBoy]

The President’s Decision is Based on Ethical Principle

Which ethical principle was that?

[plain talk]

uh ... I don't know ... maybe that life is sacred and we shouldn't encourage the killing of unborn children by harvesting cells from the tissue? Just a guess.

[YankeeDoodleBoy]

I must be missing something. I thought the President is allowing stem cells to be harvested from embryos. I gleaned that from the first line:

For the first time ever, he allowed Federal research funds to be used in embryonic stem cell research.

What am I missing?

[plain talk]

Old existing stem cell lines. But not new ones. The compromise reached was to use what was already out there since it was water under the bridge.

[YankeeDoodleBoy]

That's an important distinction, that is not entirely clear to me (of course, I'm not the brightest bulb in the chandelier). It also looks like there is "wiggle room", as is the case with most legalese. But it's a start, I suppose.

[geopyg]

And by compromising to use old ones, you don't have to sacrifice new ones.

An attorney I knew after a case that was plea-bargained after he had been working on it for a long (6 months +) time. I asked how he felt about it, and he said "Well our company is satisfied with the compromise, and the other company is satisfied with it.......but it just seems like such a ... compromise.

[plain talk]

By your comments I'm taking it that you were not aware that this compromise was reached in August, 2001? This is old news.

This article, however, puts this in perspective. Under Clinton, no embryonic stem cell research was funded by the feds. (to be fair, this line of research was still quite new back in those days) Bush allowed it but only for existing lines - a compromise. Now the dems are making a big deal of this as if if Bush is some ogre holding back scientific reserach. It's another phoney issue invented by the dems.

[YankeeDoodleBoy]

You are right, I was not aware, or had forgotten. Thanks for the clarification.

[guitarist]

Only problem is, when those lines run out we will hear that it is time to use these other ones "since they are already in existence". It seems a prescription to keep using more and more lines.

[sandlady]

It's time for a bump.

[sandlady]

Point 1. President Bush is the first to authorize federal funding on existing embronic stem cell lines.

Point 2. Research on embryonic stem cells is not illegal. It may be privately funded.

I support President Bush's position on this.