(NJ) State pulls back on stem cell funding

star ledger ^ | 06.22.08 | Josh Margolin and Ted Sherman/

[Coleus]

Eight months after state officials broke ground on New Jersey's new center for stem cell research, the once-heralded $150 million project has quietly been put on indefinite hold. Despite continuing assurances that the 18-story tower in New Brunswick would remain on track -- even after voters rejected proposals last year to finance $450 million in stem cell science grants -- state officials behind the scenes pulled back millions in construction funding for the research facility late last year. They now acknowledge they are re-evaluating the entire project.

Gov. Jon Corzine said the project is in limbo and could not offer a concrete timeline for getting it restarted. "I'd like to have a director and I'd like to see what our options are on making sure that New Jersey continues to be the leader, or among the leaders on biotech research -- particularly as it relates to stem cells," he said. "And then we'll work together on our rollout of what our plans are." As of now, the Stem Cell Institute of New Jersey is little more than a web page and scattered lab research in three existing locations.

Under the joint oversight of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey and Rutgers University, UMDNJ officials say more than 50 faculty members from both universities are doing grant-funded stem cell research through the institute. The site of the proposed research center itself, though, is just a gravel parking lot with a lone sign featuring a drawing of a building that now may never be built. In October, Corzine and others put shovels in the dirt for a ceremonial groundbreaking of what was to be called the Christopher Reeve Pavilion. Surrounded by relatives of the late actor, who became a strong advocate of stem cell research after he was paralyzed

[Coleus]

Dear Pro-Life Friends:

 

Thanks to everyone who contacted their legislators and appeared at our Press Conference last fall.  As you can see by the comments in the article, the project is in limbo for now, but that does not mean that it cannot be jumpstarted again in the future .  Please continue to contact your state legislators and urge them to permanently abandon this project and use the $150M to pay down the debt.  Remind them that the people have spoken through the defeat of the $450M stem cell referendum.   The New Brunswick facility was slated to perform research on human embryos derived from fertility labs and the scnt cloning method which is immoral as well as impractical. 

 

Thank you,

 

Marie Tasy, Executive Director

[Steely Tom]

Corzine’s finger to W’s eye (in the form of this dumb state-sponsored boondoggle) got a lot more press attention than story will.

Haven’t heard much from California’s $3B stem cell finger to W’s eye lately either.

[Vince Ferrer]

It seems there is research going on, its just the building boondoggle that is on hold? If so, I’d rather have the building, at least the money would be squandered without hurting anyone and we’d get a building out of it. Of course, if all of this money had been spent on adult stem cell treatments, we’d be having treatments in the last stages of approval by now...