Stem cell scientists should respond fast, May 26, is the last chance, after that the window to provide feedback will close, and the drafted rules will possibly help disappear funding for almost all existing cell lines.
Time is really short for the scientists to respond to the call for comments on the National Institutes of Health (NIH) proposed guidelines for the use of human embryonic stem (ES) cell lines and their eligibility for federal funds.
Patrick Taylor, deputy general counsel at Children’s Hospital Boston, believes that all the ongoing research is threatened, due to the retroactive rules. He also explains some of the legal implications of the NIH’s new funding rules, and whether should they be adopted as written.
His reaction had been published in a Forum article on middle of the month of May by Cell Press in the journal Cell Stem Cell.
According to Taylor, it is very important that scientists should be aware of the situation and the problem should be solved as early as possible.
Research with almost all existing cell lines will not be fundable, leaving almost no federal funds for research using cells created ethically since 2001.
This will mean a loss of the research benefit of the last eight years, even though that research was independently reviewed and determined to be ethical under federal standards.
Though continual access to the ES cells for the medical research is highly important, but the current proposed guidelines may not even allow for continued research on the 21 ES cell lines approved by President Bush in 2001, says Ronald McKay, director of the NIH Stem Cell Unit.
Researchers from all scientific disciplines and interested members of the general public can comment on the proposed guidelines at https://nihoerextra.nih.gov/stem_cells/add.htm until 11 p.m. EST on May 26.
Source: EurekAlert
Filed under Stem Cell | Comment Below
Indian Scientists Used Human Feeder Cells to Grow the Embryonic Stem Cell LinesOctober 16th, 2006 A India Scientist Hinduja Zavari is one of the first scientists to have created embryonic stem cell lines without using mouse feeder cells to grow them. Indira Hinduja, who created the country's first test-tube baby, used human feeder cells to grow the embryonic stem cell lines so they would not be contaminated.
Revised ethical guidelines for embryonic stem cell researchSeptember 9th, 2008 The National Academies has released a revised amended ethical guidelines for research in the human embryonic stem cells. They have originally produced the guidelines to offer a common set of ethical standards for the responsible conduct of research using human stem cells, an area that, due to an absence of comprehensive federal funding, was lacking national standards.
Embryonic stem cell research boosted by new NIH guidelinesJuly 7th, 2009 The rules, the agency said, lay out which research is eligible for federal funding and help "ensure that NIH-funded research in this area is ethically responsible, scientifically worthy and conducted in accordance with applicable law."
It might be pointed out as an achievement, that many of us who have fought for the rights for embryonic stem cell (ES). We may say that Obama gave the green signal, and the new guidelines has strengthened the foundation.
University Of Washington Gets $10 Million Grant For Stem Cell ResearchSeptember 20th, 2007 Federal Government has awarded the University of Washington $10 million for a five-year program intended to advance basic research on human embryonic stem cells. The UW grant from the National Institutes of Health restricts the university to using the funding for research only on the 21 human embryonic stem cell lines approved for scientific study by President Bush in August 2001.
Can Obama change stem cell reserach future?November 24th, 2008 After the great fall of George W Bush, critics find it a ray of hope for stem cell research in the USA. President-elect Barack Obama is expected to lift restrictions on federal money for such research.
Indian Stem Cell Research Would be Guided by an Appropriate Strategy in Near FutureJuly 3rd, 2006 India is expected to have an appropriate strategy in place for stem cell research and therapy as the 24 page draft guidelines prepared by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) in consultation with a host of experts is in the process of being finalized shortly. The guidelines have insisted the need for two committees: National Apex Committee for Stem Cell Research and Therapy (NAC-SCRT) and an Institutional Committee for Stem Cell Research and Therapy (IC-SCRT).
Will stem cell research be free from federal restriction? December 1st, 2008 When Barack Obama won the election , stem cell researchers viewed at as their victory. The new US President is likely to loosen restrictions on federal ban on stem cell research fund.
Americans Think there Should be no Restrictions on Stem Cell Research; Bush DisagreesJune 22nd, 2007 More adults in the United States would like their federal government to change its current policy regarding stem cell research, according to a poll by Gallup released by USA Today. 22 per cent of respondents think there should be no restrictions on this type of scientific investigation, up 11 points in two years.
