Stem cell research stalled by lack of growth

NIH official says more would be spent on culturing new lines if the agency received more grant applications.

By Andis Robeznieks, amednews staff. Sept. 1, 2003.

An umbrella group that advocates for more scientific research into technologies such as stem cell research and therapeutic cloning marked the second anniversary of President Bush's stem cell research policy in August by issuing a statement declaring that the policy is hindering medical progress.

The policy allows federal funds to be used only on cell lines created before Aug. 9, 2001. The Coalition for the Advancement of Medical Research, which represents more than 80 institutions and organizations, including the AMA, stated that the policy hinders research that might help 100 million Americans with cancer, diabetes, spinal injuries, Alzheimer's disease or Parkinson's disease.

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Based in Washington, D.C., CAMR noted that only 11 of the 78 promised stem cell lines on the National Institutes of Health registry are available, and they may not be diverse enough to meet research needs.

"I think the most significant thing the president could do is to revisit his policy of Aug. 9, 2001, and expand the number of lines," said CAMR President Michael Manganiello. He added that U.S. scientists may get eclipsed by researchers in other countries who have access to more cells lines and more government support.

Manganiello said he expects stem cell research to become an election issue. He said that Sen. Joe Lieberman (D, Conn.) has promised, if elected, to rescind President Bush's stem cell policies on his first day in office.

Other candidates have not made as bold a statement yet, but Manganiello said others -- especially Sen. John Kerry (D, Mass.) -- have been ardent supporters of stem cell research. Former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean, MD, has said he will "fully fund our ability to do stem cell research based on medical facts -- not religious ideology."

Only 11 of the 78 promised stem cell lines on the NIH registry are available for research.

CAMR's statement also noted that Health & Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson advocated for $100 million for human embryonic stem cell research this year, but the NIH is projecting to spend only $17 million.

NIH Stem Cell Task Force Chair James Battey, MD, PhD, said 12 lines are now available and he expects "several additional cell lines to become available in the next few months."

"If there's anything that will slow progress in this area, it would be inconsistency with the quality of the cell lines," Dr. Battey said. "There is a dearth of investigators trained in the art of culturing these cells."

He said the NIH has sponsored five courses to provide training in stem cell culturing and that more grants would be awarded if the NIH received more applications. "We have no cap ... on how much we are willing to spend on this research," Dr. Battey said.

Dan McConchie, public policy director for the Bannockburn, Ill.-based Center for Bioethics and Human Dignity, said CAMR has undersold adult stem cell research. "It doesn't make sense to me to expand research into an area that people find morally objectionable when there's an alternative that no one finds morally objectionable," he said.

At its Annual Meeting in June, the AMA approved a report from its Council on Ethical and Judicial Affairs that said cloning to create stem cells for research is consistent with medical ethics, but doctors were free to decide whether to participate in this type of research or to use the products that resulted from it.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

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Coalition for the Advancement of Medical Research statement urging President Bush to expand researcher access to more embryonic stem cell lines (www.camradvocacy.org/fastaction/news.asp?id=648)

AMA press release on use of stem cells for biomedical research and medical ethics (no longer available)

AMA's Council on Scientific Affairs Report 5 on Cloning and Stem Cell Research (A-03) (www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/article/2036-7819.html)