Bush Signals Opposition to Some Stem Cell Research
Reuters Online Service
Samstag, 27. Januar 2001 01:27:00
Copyright 2001 Reuters Ltd. All rights reserved.@bThe following news report may not be republished or redistributed, in whole or in part, without the prior written consent of Reuters Ltd.
By Maggie Fox, Health and Science Correspondent
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President George W. Bush said on
Friday he would oppose research using cells from aborted fetuses,
fueling fears of researchers who hope so-called master cells can
one day cure a range of diseases from diabetes to paralysis.
Bush, who opposes abortion, would not say if he would move to
outlaw such research, which is currently legal. But scientists
said if he did, it could cut off many promising avenues of
medical study.
"I believe there are some wonderful opportunities for adult
stem cell research," Bush told reporters.
"I believe we can find stem cells from fetuses that died a
natural death but I do not support research from aborted
fetuses."
But asked whether he would sign an executive order to ban
such research, Bush said, "I will let you know when I decide all
policy decisions."
Scientists expressed dismay, although Bush's spokesmen have
said he would oppose such research.
"We had a feeling that was coming," sighed John Gearhart, a
Johns Hopkins University researcher who was one of the first to
discover the power of stem cells that come from embryos.
"That's unfortunate," added Gearhart, who has testified
extensively before Congress on the potential of stem cells.
Stem cells are a kind of nursery cell that can generate a
range of cells in the body. There are several kinds -- the best
known come from the bone marrow and are used to treat leukemia
and other cancers.
But just over two years ago, Gearhart and others found that
stem cells taken from embryos were especially powerful and
especially flexible.
Impressed, the National Institutes of Health (NIH),
encouraged by the Clinton administration, issued guidelines that
said federally funded scientists could bypass a ban on destroying
human embryos to work with the cells.
So long as the scientists themselves did not create or
destroy a human embryo to get the cells, they could use them.
Work is continuing to try to find ways to use the cells to help
patients with Parkinson's disease, juvenile or type-I diabetes,
spinal cord injuries and other illnesses.
The fear is that Bush or his appointees, perhaps a new head
of the NIH, might reverse this ruling.
Anti-abortion activists point to research that suggests stem
cells taken from adults can be as powerful as embryonic stem
cells.
But Gearhart and others argue it is too soon to tell which
will work better, and they warn that privately funded research
will go ahead no matter what and it would be better to have
government oversight.
Gearhart said Bush's suggestion to use cells from embryos
that were naturally miscarried will not work.
"We did try initially to really look into and try to get
ahold of tissue from spontaneous abortions and it just turned out
to be a nonviable approach," he said.
He said 80 percent of the miscarried fetuses had severe
genetic abnormalities, which probably caused the miscarriages in
the first place and made the tissue no good to work with.
One hope is that former Wisconsin Gov. Tommy Thompson, Bush's
choice to head the Department of Health and Human Services, which
oversees the NIH, will support stem cell research.
Although Thompson opposes abortion, he has cheered on stem
cell research -- University of Wisconsin scientists are leading
experts in the field.