Science Federally Funded Human Embryonic Stem Cells
posted by on September 5 at 13:39 PM
The University of Washington was selected by the NIH as one of two national centers for human embryonic stem cell research. The purse? Ten million dollars in federal funds spread over five years. Hurray for us!
(Full disclosure time: I was a small contributor to the grant, including preliminary data, experimental design and writing. The lab I work in will be receiving some of the funds. Writing this, I am the eponym for conflict of interest.)
Hearing the news, Eric Earling at Sound Politics noted:
And a reminder that despite the annoyingly simplistic campaign rhetoric one hears around election time, there actually is federally funded, embryonic stem cell research already occurring in the country.
Not so quick Eric. Added to the bottom of the press release is this defensive notice:
The source of human embryonic stem cells is limited to federally approved stem cell lines listed on the National Institutes of Health Human Embryonic Stem Cell Registry.
Only lines created before August of 2001 may be studied with federal funds, as per the president and his infinite wisdom. Twenty-one are still around, and only ten are actually available for purchase right now. Federal research on human embryonic stem cells is limited the oldest lines, the lines where culture techniques were perfected, and the lines from a very limited genetic pool. (Fun fact: Three of the more popular lines (H1, H7 and H9) all started as embryos from the same in vitro fertilization clinic in Israel. How’s that for genetic diversity?)
What’s wrong with refusing to federally fund the creation of new embryonic stem cell lines? When government opens the purse, it gets to set rules. New lines are still being created (and pre-implantation embryos destroyed) — just with private dollars, behind closed doors and without any federal governmental oversight. For anyone seriously concerned about the ethical implications of this research, this is the worst possible outcome. Rather than a real national debate to hash out some reasonable rules and guidelines, we’ve simple swept the whole problem under the rug.
Solving some of what stops us from using human embryonic stem cells clinically — purifying out desired cell types from the differentiating population, delivering and integrating cells into target organs, avoiding grafting undesired or undifferentiated cells, protecting the genetic and epigenetic stability of the aged existing lines, and evading immune rejection — will require the creation of new embryonic stem cells. So long as the asinine Bush policy remains in place, we cannot forge a coherent and ethical means of doing so.
You must really hate babies to want so badly for our government to murder them, Jonathan. Why do you hate babies?
Bush hates science. There was a thing in the New Yorker 6-12 months ago where one of his totally political appointees said something like "we're on the verge of huge breakthroughs; in five years there will be no cancer at all." Which is of course completely absurd (unfortunately.)
Experts consulted in the article thought that perhaps he said it as part of an effort to set expectations so high that when they underdeliver, people will respond with less trust in science.
George W. Bush: pure fucking evil.
Jonathan, do you want my eggs? You can have them. But yr going to have to come get them.
The president's infinite wisdom is compounded by his uncanny soothsaying ability. Remember the threat of "human-animal hybrids" he railed against in his Jan. '06 State o' the Union?
http://www.whitehouse.gov/stateoftheunion/2006/
Well, the British Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (clearly the enemy of life and good morals everywhere) "have agreed in principle to allow human-embryo embryos to be created and used for research. ... Scientists want to create hybrid embryos by merging human cells with animal eggs in a bid to extract stem cells. The embryos would then be destroyed within 14 days."
"In principle" means that scientists still have to make individual applications. I imagine there is a check box on that form somewhere for "Yes, I pinky-swear to chuck everything after two weeks. For real."
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/6978384.stm
Including typical BBC scary headline, complete with air quotes: "'Human-animal' embryo green light."
@2 - not just science, he also hates black people.
Will, does he hate black evangelical millionaires?
I always thought it was all about (1) faith and (2) class with that evil prick. I know his dad (vis: Wille Horton) and his mom (vis: her very own mixed-race grandchildren) hate black people, but I always thought he was more singularly focused in his hatred.
Good question. I think he likes them if they bail him out of jail and give him money.
Considering how inbred shrub's own genetic line probably is, it makes perfect sense that he'd only support research on stem cells from equally inbred sources.
$2 million a year for five years is worth putting up with the feds' bullshit?
re: 3. Yah, what if people want to donate their eggs and things for research, is that possible? God I hate the president for so many reasons. Good luck with your research!!!
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