“Latest Stem Cells News”

“They call it the ‘global gag rule’ because it forbids federal funding to every international group of family planning which even simply speak about abortion as theoretical possibility.
Officially known as “mexico City Policy”, it has been inserted by Ronald Reagan in 1984 (do you remembe the novel?). Bill Clinton did cancel it on 1993, then George W. Bush made it re-born in 2001, and new President Barack Obama cancelled it again by an executive order.
From now on the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) could restore on its list of payees all the world wide organizations which give informations and suggestions about abortion as a solution.

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After seeing the fastest development worldwide in stem cell research during the past 10 years, China is “on the verge of achieving a breakthrough”, says a top scientist in the field.
Zhou Qi, chief scientist with the stem cell research project at the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), spoke after the academy chose his area of expertise for significant attention.

He said Chinese scientists are expecting a major scientific breakthrough to be made within the next decade.
“We are now close to the day when we will be able to hail a breakthrough in this important technology,” Zhou told China Daily during an exclusive interview.

He said China has already succeeded in creating a “stem cell line up to clinical standards“, which signifies a major stride toward clinical treatment.
“China needs five to 10 years to shift from basic research to clinical application and another 10 years to realize large-scale clinical application,” he said.

“If there are any science projects that could win China a Nobel Prize during the next 10 years, the most likely candidate is its stem cell research.”
Going forward, the priority will be to focus on stem cell regulation, core mechanisms for stem-cell therapies and standardized applications of stem cells, Zhou said.

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A year after President Barack Obama issued a landmark executive order to remove eight years of limitations on U.S. federal funding of stem cell research, the WiCell Research Institute has expanded the number of cell lines available through its WISC Bank (Wisconsin International Stem Cell) to 33.

WiCell, host of the former National Stem Cell Bank (NSCB) for five years under a contract from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), has transitioned the distribution of all of the 20 human embryonic stem cell (hESC) lines formerly available through the NSCB to its own stem cell bank. The bank also continues to carry its previously banked seven induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cell lines and six genetically modified hES cell lines.

Kidney stem cells, according to some experts, could be able to repair kidney damage if used properly. The first researchers to identify the cells were scientists at the University of Florence, who published an article recently in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology. Giuseppe Remuzzi, the head of the Nephrology and Dialysis division of the United Hospitals of Bergamo recently spoke about their potential in Milan at the World Nephrology Congress.

“The truth about stem cells,” explained the expert, “ is what US President Barack Obama pointed out when he announced the repeal of laws banning the federal financing of embryonic stem cell studies. They are promising, but there is still a lot of work to do. Currently, these cells treat very few diseases. We must study them and compare the various types.”

Many scientists, continued Remuzzi, believe in them, although the results are few and mostly have been obtained in vitro. “Everyone’s dream is to repair organs with stem cells.” There are good possibilities for kidneys, he added. “Since stem cells could be responsible for a regeneration process observed in animals treated with Ace-inhibitor drugs, which delay the progression of kidney diseases. The idea is that these cells have an innate ability to repair damages, which, through the use of drugs, can be directed and sustained, with good results.”

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“For the first time, taxpayer money will be used to kill human beings in the embryonic state in order to harvest stem cells,” wrote the Osservatore Romano newspaper, which underlined how this is the result of new guidelines “after President Barack Obama overturned a decision by the Bush administration banning publically funded stem cell research”.

The Vatican newspaper cited the website of the Episcopal Conference of the United States which said “this is a new chapter in the division between biomedical research and its necessary ethical basis, the respect for human life at all stages.” “Although an embryo risks being abandoned by its parents in a fertility clinic, this does not authorize the government and researchers to kill a human being, much less give them the right to force us to finance this destructive project,” pointed out the website cited by the Observer, which also underlined the progress by researchers with non-embryonic stem cells.

According to the American bishops, embryonic stem cells have been given lots of attention, but in reality adult cells are more important for research. The Observer also cited the Archbishop of Denver, Monsignor Charles Joseph Chaput, who said “religious convictions must play an important role in public debate” and “the United States must remain faithful to its founding principles”.

The Archbishop of Denver told the Osservatore that “public life in America cannot function if we keep our religious beliefs in the closet. America does not need to be a Christian country, but it cannot survive if it is not open to acceptance, solidarity, and faith”. Monsignor Chaput also told the Osservatore about his “perplexity regarding US President Barack Obama’s inaugural address where he spoke about the role of science in society.

Science,” he concluded, “must serve human dignity, and can never be above or beyond God’s moral judgment. Jews, Protestants, Catholics, and other religions have something precious to protect: faith in God, and we must defend it with reciprocal respect and without alibis, excuses, or conflicts”. The Osservatore also spoke about the outcry against Obama at Notre Dame due to an honorary degree he received at the catholic university, which “was expected”. “But from the podium, set up in the basketball arena, the president asked Americans of all religions and ideologies to ‘take part in a common effort’ to reduce the number of abortions”.

“Search for a common ground is what seems to be the path chosen by the President of the United States to face the delicate issue of abortion,” reported the Vatican newspaper. “Aside from the heated debates during the electoral campaign, Obama confirmed what he said at his 100 days press conference, when he said that passing abortion legislation is not a priority of his administration.”

Austria

In the debate on embryonic stem cell research, or its regulations, it seems that the wind is changing both in the US, where President Obama has just changed the rigid guidelines laid out by his predecessor George W. Bush, and in Austria. “There was no pre-arranged organization, however, we were not against it,” said Christiane Druml, the president of the Bioethical Commission, presenting their new recommendations on March 23. A large majority, “including 17 out of 25 women”, believe that embryonic stem cell research is “scientifically relevant, morally legitimate, and worthy of support” and recommended a substantial easing of the laws. Five members of the commission proposed the laws to be stricter (these five supporters were not present at the meeting and one of their supporters, philosopher Guenther Poeltner, criticized their absence from the audience). The previous majority was overturned. In 2002 the Austrian government almost completely blocked the entire EU research program because it called for financing for embryonic stem cells. Now they are moving in the opposite direction.
The Commission suggested: a) the use of excess embryos from in vitro fertilization procedures; b) “therapeutic cloning”; c) hybrid human and animal embryos.

Legislative uncertainty halts research.

The commission does not only want liberal laws, but also clearer laws: “Current legislative uncertainty has been an obstacle to the development of research” explained Ulrich Koertner (Evangelical Theology, University of Vienna). Although part of the legal uncertainty has been overcome, molecular biologist Erwin Wagner (IMP) two years ago was the first and only scientist to perform experiments with embryonic stem cells in Austria. This was possible under past laws by importing embryonic stem cells from the US because it was not clear if they could be produced in Austria (the minority party voted to ban production and importation).

Now their production could be authorized. Their source would be “excess embryos”, which go not lead to great ethical problems. Reserve embryos not used by medically assisted fertilization programs are frozen for ten years and then destroyed. The explicit liberalization of “therapeutic cloning” is a more delicate issue (the current law is controversial). In this case embryos would be produced for the sole purpose of creating stem cells (and then the embryos would be destroyed). Finally, “hybrid” embryos, which are currently legal only in Great Britain, could become legal (the Commission is only an advisory body). This would constitute a small revolution, which would then give the final call to researchers. Until now, no one has followed Wagner’s example, and not just for legislative reasons, but more because embryonic stem cell research requires training, and lots of funding.

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