Posted on 03/19/2007 6:27:12 PM PDT by neverdem
Associated Press
Lifting the ban on taxpayer funding of research on new stem cells from fertilized embryos would better serve both science and the nation, the chief of the National Institutes of Health told lawmakers Monday.
Allowing the ban to remain in place, Dr. Elias A. Zerhouni told a Senate panel, leaves his agency fighting "with one hand tied behind our back."
"It is clear today that American science will be better served — the nation will be better served — if we allow our scientists to have access to more cell lines," Zerhouni told two members of the Senate health appropriations subcommittee during a hearing on the NIH's proposed 2008 budget. The NIH, with a nearly $29 billion annual budget, is the main federal agency that conducts and funds medical research.
Zerhouni's comments appear to be his strongest yet in support of lifting President Bush's 2001 ban that restricted government funding to research using only embryonic stem cell lines then in existence. There are just 21 such lines now in use.
Bush issued the first and so far only veto of his presidency last year when he killed legislation that would have expanded federal funding of stem-cell research. In January, the House passed a revived proposal.
Stem cells are created in the first days after conception and typically are culled from frozen embryos, destroying them in the process. Because they go on to form the body's tissues and cells — Zerhouni called them "software of life" — scientists say they could unlock the mystery of many diseases and one day lead to cures.
Sen. Tom Harkin (news, bio, voting record), D-Iowa, said contamination of the 21 embryonic lines available under the ban make it unlikely they ever will be used in treating humans.
Zerhouni, in answering questions from Harkin and Sen. Arlen Specter (news, bio, voting record), R-Pa., the only subcommittee members present for his testimony, said the limited number of cell lines aren't sufficient to do needed research.
"We cannot, I do not think, be second best in this area," Zerhouni told the two, both ardent supporters of stem-cell research. He later said other countries, including China and India, are increasing their spending on overall medical research.
Congress doubled the NIH's budget between 1998 and 2003, but it's remained essentially flat since then, when adjusted for inflation.
On the Net:
National Institutes of Health: http://www.nih.gov/
Since billions aren't producing anything, it must be they plan on upping it to trillions.
There's lots of animal research in both kinds of stem cell research - the kind that requires the destruction of life, and the kind that doesn't.
In fact, most research is still in animal models -- and all of the unethical, destructive stem cell research is done in animals.
The **real** hope is to be able to recruit and stimulate stem cells in place, when and where they are needed in the body. Not transplants and definitely not "embryonic" -- no one's trying to use embryonic stem cells except to develop more specialized cells. In other words, adult stem cells that come from embryonic stem cells.
And we're finding all sorts of stem cells in place that we didn't expect - like the report about stem cells in the lungs, confirmed by evidence from the recipients of lung transplants. http://www.lifeethics.org/www.lifeethics.org/2007/03/truley-transplantable-lung-stem-cells.html
And then there's the surprising news that stem cells - from injections that were given for treatment of peripheral blood vessel disease of diabetes - migrate to the pancreas and kidneys and repair those areas.
Last Monday, the Texas House State Affairs heard testimony about encouraging (especially) umbilical cord banking. We heard from the man (David Harris, Ph.D. from Arizona) who set up the first cord blood bank, then a little boy whose sickle cell anemia was cured by a cord blood bone marrow stem cell transplant from his little brother (who was a surprise to his parents who had had to resort to in vitro fertilization and never thought that they would have a child naturally) and then they heard from me about my granddaughter who had an unrelated, anonymous matched donor for her umbilical cord stem cell bone marrow transplant.
http://www.lifeethics.org/www.lifeethics.org/2007/03/umbilical-cord-blood-saves-lives.html
Heard from you indeed!
This has allowed Singapore to set up a world class research facility in a cutting edge field of science with some of the top talent from the US for dirt cheap.
Keep up the good work!
At this rate, not only will all the doctorates in physical sciences in a generation be Asians, but the few talented Caucasians will be working in Asia.
It's so refreshing to read that embryonic stem cells won't have to deal with basic problems of immunology. Do you think immunosuppresant drugs don't have adverse reactions?
Thanks for the links.
Screw you, Zerhouni. Don't do your Brave New World experimentation on human embryos with my tax dollars.
Singapore by encouraging only one Baby 20 years ago now Pays $30 K a Child 3 and above and still don't have the manpower to meet furure growth needs they will be Importing all their labor Pool. Lee Kuan Yew and his Generic Engineering of the Superior Chinese race was a disaster Singaporeans now have the lateral Thinking ability of a Gold Fish and the personality of one too.while 31 in world in Booksmarts.
it's the only place where Communism worked tempered with Capitalism. It has no Democracy with LKY's son enconced in Power.
Singapore is a country without a soul or conscience.
That will come as something of a surprise to the 70 companies (as of 2005) that were doing embryonic stem cell research (source: Navigant Consulting).
Perhaps the testimony should be what we're getting for our annual $566 million investment (again as of 2005) they're already getting for stem cell research.
I'm inclined to believe that's the real answer.
(We have GOT to quit using the weasle words!!!)
(Note to all:
Steve Reeve died from
The governments nowadays live largely on credit, not only on taxes. Bethink yourself of it.
Yep. When Bush first was discussing cutting off the funding, it was noted that the private sector was funding a lot of this research and the "scientific community" opposed it because of the prestige of federal funding.
This is well said... but it is not really the crux of the matter... it simply puts the lie to the issue as it is being presented. IMHO this 'embryonic cell research' issue is cleverly hiding the real core issue: public funding for abortion. Once the public is fooled into accepting public funding for embryonic cell research they will find they have approved public funding for destruction of embryos ... which can only be interpreted as abortion... exactly what happened in Missouri in the last election.
I am personally opposed to abortion... but that is not the issue we are discussing. The issue is that the public is being scammed into thinking they are voting for fabulously promising health-care research, when in reality there is no such promise: just the same old same old 'how can we fool them today?'
People should be allowed to express their views in the voting booth [pro- or con- abortion], not treated like lemmings.
The irony is this:
They are begging for more (tax) government money because they're not getting enough non-gov money.
They're not getting enough private money most likely because of INCOME TAXES.
There just isn't as much disposable income for any person or corporation when it's all confiscated by the government.
"Why does "science" require "taxpayer funding?" That sounds like a Communist technique. Use private funding and then let the investors cash in on the results. Geeeesh! This isn't rocket science. Of course, if this "science" is just another Commie jobs program for artsy fartsy "scientists", "taxpayer funding" is probably the only solution"
shhhhh!
not too loud!
embryonic stem cell research is not producing results as was expected!
That honor lies with the realm of adult stem cell research.
If the only funding comes from private sources, and private investors place their money where the outcome is more fruitful - then funding for embryonic killing/research will dry up!
Yeah.... NEXT years taxes!!!
Nah... one who's really smart would quit while ahead and peg out - let them try to tax it then.
It is an EO, nothing more. When the next Admin takes over Federal funding will become available again. It might be noted that private stem cell research is still available who are tired of whining about the Gov't stem cell lines.
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