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| Opinion Dr. Sarah Johnson Wichita Eagle July 21, 2005 |
My View: Loosen limits on stem-cell research
As a practicing internist, I see patients every day who suffer from diseases that someday may be more treatable if stem-cell research is properly funded and regulated in the United States. Therefore, I am excited that progress is being made toward loosening restrictions on this promising field of research.
In May 2005, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Castle-DeGette bill, which would expand federally funded embryonic stem-cell research beyond the 78 U.S. cell lines derived prior to August 2001. President George W. Bush, who banned federal funding for research using stem-cell lines created after that date, has threatened to veto the bill. The bill is expected to be addressed this month in the U.S. Senate, where opponent Sen. Sam Brownback, R-Kan., has signaled he may filibuster it.
At the state legislative level, Kansas is one of 10 states that have pending bills restricting stem-cell research; nine states explicitly limit embryonic stem-cell research. Four states have legislation explicitly permitting embryonic stem-cell research.
The source of embryonic stem cells described in the Castle-DeGette bill are couples' unused embryos created from in vitro fertilization. About 90 percent of couples' embryos are implanted and used; most of the unused embryos are discarded. In the United States, about 400,000 of these embryos remain frozen.
It is estimated that about 10 percent of these frozen embryos could be induced to develop into blastocysts, the source of embryonic stem cells. Many physicians believe that couples' donation of such embryos for stem-cell research is analogous to organ donation.
In May 2005, Korean researchers announced that they had derived lines of human embryonic stem cells carrying the genetic material of several patients with conditions that are potentially amenable to stem-cell therapy, including spinal cord injury and diabetes mellitus. It can be argued that this scientific breakthrough shows that U.S. researchers are falling behind those in other countries.
In April 2005, the National Research Council and the Institute of Medicine issued new ethics guidelines for the conduct of stem-cell research. These detailed guidelines were enthusiastically welcomed by physicians, policymakers and the scientific community.
Kansas has a long, proud tradition of fostering cutting-edge bioscientific research. We should ensure that this tradition continues as advances are made in the tremendously promising field of stem-cell research.
Sarah Johnston is a physician from El Dorado.