Stem Cell Research: Federal Research Funding and Oversight Page: 2 of 25
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Stem Cell Research: Federal Research Funding and Oversight
Summary
Embryonic stem cells have the ability to develop into virtually any cell in the body, and may have
the potential to treat injuries as well as illnesses, such as diabetes and Parkinson's disease. In
January 2009, the Food and Drug Administration approved a request from Geron, a California
biotechnology company, to begin a clinical trial involving safety tests of embryonic stem cells in
patients with recent spinal cord injuries.
Currently, most human embryonic stem cell lines used in research are derived from embryos
produced via in vitro fertilization (IVF). Because the process of removing these cells destroys the
embryo, some individuals believe the derivation of stem cells from human embryos is ethically
unacceptable. In November 2007, research groups in Japan and the United States announced the
development of embryonic stem cell-like cells, called induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells, via the
introduction of four genes into human skin cells. Those concerned about the ethical implications
of deriving stem cells from human embryos argue that researchers should use iPS cells or adult
stem cells (from bone marrow or umbilical cord blood). However, many scientists believe
research should focus on all types of stem cells.
On March 9, 2009, President Barack Obama signed an executive order that reversed the nearly
eight-year old Bush Administration restriction on federal funding for human embryonic stem cell
research. In August 2001, President George W. Bush had announced that for the first time, federal
funds would be used to support research on human embryonic stem cells, but funding would be
limited to "existing stem cell lines." NIH established a registry of 78 human embryonic stem cell
lines eligible for use in federally funded research, but only 21 cell lines were available due to
technical reasons and other limitations. Over time scientists became increasingly concerned about
the quality and longevity of these 21 stem cell lines. These scientists believe that research
advancement requires access to new human embryonic stem cell lines.
H.R. 873 (DeGette), the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act of 2009, was introduced on
February 4, 2009. The text of H.R. 873 is identical to legislation introduced in the 110th Congress,
H.R. 3 (DeGette), and the 109t Congress, H.R. 810 (Castle). The bill would allow federal support
of research that utilizes human embryonic stem cells regardless of the date on which the stem
cells were derived from a human embryo. Stem cell lines must meet ethical guidelines established
by the NIH, which would be issued within 60 days of enactment. H.R. 872 (DeGette), the Stem
Cell Research Improvement Act of 2009, was also introduced on February 4, 2009. It is similar to
H.R. 873 in that it adds the same Section 498D, "Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research," to the
PHS Act, but it also adds another Section 498E, "Guidelines on Research Involving Human Stem
Cells," which would require the Director of NIH to issue guidelines on research involving human
embryonic stem cell within 90 days of enactment; updates of the guidelines would be required
every three years. S. 487 (Harkin), introduced on February 26, 2009, is the same as H.R. 873,
except it has an additional section supporting research on alternative human pluripotent stem
cells. It is identical to a bill introduced in the 110th Congress, S. 5 (Reid).
During the 110th Congress, the Senate passed legislation (S. 5) in April 2007 that would have
allowed federal support of research that utilizes human embryonic stem cells regardless of the
date on which the stem cells were derived from a human embryo. The bill would have also
provided support for research on alternatives, such as iPS cells. The House passed the bill in June
2007, and President Bush vetoed it on June 20, 2007. (The 109th Congress passed a similar bill,
which also was vetoed by President Bush, the first veto of his presidency; an attempt to override
the veto in the House failed.) On the related issue of human cloning, in June 2007 the House
failed to pass a bill (H.R. 2560) that would have imposed penalties on anyone who cloned a
human embryo and implanted it in a uterus.Congressional Research Service
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Stem Cell Research: Federal Research Funding and Oversight, report, March 13, 2009; Washington D.C.. (https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc817156/m1/2/: accessed April 16, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, UNT Digital Library, https://digital.library.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.