MSU to apply for stem cell funding after ban lifted
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Following the lifting of a ban on federal funding for human embryonic stem cell research last week, MSU researchers could receive federal funding for their work for the first time in eight years.
President Barack Obama lifted the ban March 9, a move that will allow researchers to use embryonic stem cell lines that were not available under the Bush administration.
“Before, we were limited with the cell lines that were available for us to use,” said Jose Cibelli, an animal science and physiology professor. “Those lines were getting very old, and with this new lifting of the ban, we can apply for federal funding with any cell line.”
The $787 billion federal stimulus package allocates for up to $10 billion to be used for biomedical research, which could help fund stem cell research.
“Of course, there will be multiple institutions applying and the chances are not great, but we will apply,” Cibelli said.
Cibelli’s research focuses on taking adult stem cells, which already have been tagged for specific organs, and turning back their development to make embryonic stem cells from them.
“Still, we’re going to need some cell lines produced from embryos to be able to compare the stem cells,” he said.
Although researching embryonic stem cells could lead to cures for diseases such as diabetes and cancer, opponents say using an embryonic stem cell requires the taking of human life.
By deciding whether to engage in federally funded research, the university faces controversial ethical questions, said professor Leonard Fleck, an expert in ethical issues related to stem cell research.
“Harvesting the stem cells needed will be done with public dollars, and some of those dollars will come from right-to-life folks who are going to say they object vigorously to using their tax dollars to support this research they’re totally opposed to,” Fleck said.
The university will have to address these concerns and explain why research should go forward, along with explaining reasonable limits, he said.
Not all stem cell researchers will be affected by Obama lifting the ban.
James Trosko, a professor in MSU’s Department of Pediatrics and Human Development, studies human adult stem cells. These produce only the cell types of the organs they were isolated from, whereas embryonic stem cells will produce all human cell types.
“From that standpoint, we feel that it’s more important we work with stem cells that make types we want to study,” Trosko said. “Secondly, we don’t want to bother with the ethical, legal and religious implications.”
Cibelli said lifting the ban could strengthen collaborations with the University of Michigan, which announced the launching of a $5 million embryonic stem cell research center the same day the ban was lifted.
Research at the U-M center is expected to begin this spring, and will focus on identifying goals that are not covered by national groups, said Doug Engel, chairman of U-M’s Cell and Developmental Biology Department.
“We’re attempting to identify unmet needs that we might uniquely contribute to,” Engel said.
“We’re at the beginning stages, but there’s at least one investigator at MSU that has been very forthcoming, and we hope to include.”
Commentary
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Caution
(03/18/09 4:06pm)Report
This is a slipery slope. Embryonic stems cells are taken from a living being, and to obtain the cells you must destroy the embryo, which would have had the potential of becoming a human being, just like you and me. Also there has been proven evidence that Embryonic stem cells do not work, but cause malformations and tumors, in its recipients. However with Adult Stem cells there has not been any proven harm to the recipient and it doesn’t harm nor destroy human life. In other words you are using the donors own cells to repair the body. Let’s treat the unborn with the dignity that we all deserve.
AJ
(03/18/09 5:19pm)Report
Caution, there may be evidence that some methods that use embryonic stem cells “cause malformations and tumors”, but I doubt that this is true of every method. Please cite your sources if you’ve actually seen scientific evidence to the contrary.
Embryonic stem cells that are used for research are typically donated (with informed consent) for exactly that purpose or are derived from an existing cell line, not “taken from a living being” (see, for example, http://stemcells.nih.gov/info/basics/basics3.asp).
Caution
(03/18/09 8:58pm)Report
According to The National Institute Of Health: Resource for Stem Cell Research, it is stated that “A potential advantage of using stem cells from an adult is that the patient’s own cells could be expanded in culture and then reintroduced into the patient. The use of the patient’s own adult stem cells would mean that the cells would not be rejected by the immune system. This represents a significant advantage as immune rejection is a difficult problem that can only be circumvented with immunosuppressive drugs.” In other words the body will not reject its own cells. Embryonic Stem Cells are foreign to the body and the individual receiving them would have to remain on immunosuppressive drugs the remainder of their life. I think I would rather not have to worry about my body rejecting the embroyonic stem cells and rather use my bodies own cells instead.