Expand Stem Cell Research

Four years ago, President Bush declared that federal research funds would be available only for embryonic stem cells lines developed before 2001.

Bush tried to compromise between conservatives who oppose stem cell research and patients with life-threatening illnesses who see it as their best hope. But his half-measure no longer satisfies that or any other objective.

In his State of the Union speech, Bush only vaguely referenced the issue. He pledged to work with Congress "to ensure that human embryos are not created for experimentation or grown for body parts."

Bush's restrictive stem cell policy has forced the federal government to surrender its ability to craft national ethical standards for how stem cell lines are derived and used. His State of the Union call for ethical research is thus at odds with the impact of his own policy.

Embryonic stem cell research is politically volatile because it's linked to the right-to-life debate, yet opponents of such studies may not understand how embryonic stem cells fit into the bigger, emerging medical picture. Early in their development, all complex organisms, including humans, come from a handful of cells that look alike, yet these identical building blocks eventually create the body's entire, amazing array of organs and functions. Under some conditions, stem cells can be induced to become specialized, such as the insulin-producing cells of the pancreas.

Science has learned how to use the few stem cells found in adult humans; bone marrow transplants, for example, can treat some cancers. But adult stem cells don't appear to make the wide variety of tissues that embryonic stem cells can.

Scientists also have extracted stem cells from umbilical cord blood. Still, there may not be enough stem cells in cord blood to do large studies or develop treatments.

Thus embryonic stem cells seem to be the best hope for new medical treatments.


DenverPost.com