FASEBnews July 18, 2001
Federation of American Societies for Experimental BiologyOffice of Public Affairs 9650 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, Md. 20814-3998 www.faseb.org/opa
Contact: Paulette W. Campbell(301) 571-7795[email protected]
Former FASEB President Urges Lawmakers to Support Stem-Cell Research
Washington, D.C. -- At a Senate hearing today, Mary J. C Hendrix, the past president of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB), urged lawmakers to allow for federal funding of research involving stem cells. "The public has every right to know exactly what type of human embryonic stem cell research is being performed in our country," she said. "For that to happen, the government must provide funding and the appropriate oversight for these new research opportunities. In the absence of federal support and oversight, this exciting line of research will occur only behind closed doors." To ban federal support for such research, she said, "is to delay the prospect of life enhancing biomedical breakthroughs."
Dr. Hendrix made these comments before the Senate Labor/HHS Appropriations Subcommittee.
"There is great promise in human embryonic stem cell research, because we might learn how to grow specialized cells for therapeutic purposes," she said. "In my own field of cancer biology, stem cell research holds great promise. That special intrinsic property of stem cells, their ability to renew themselves indefinitely, may shed light on the similar, although uncontrolled growth of cancer cells. By understanding how embryonic stem cells are able to replicate themselves, we might be able to understand the cellular mechanisms by which tumor cells become immortal and grow out of control until they kill the patient."
Dr. Hendrix explained the limitations of using adult stem cells in research. "First, it is difficult to identify and isolate adult pluripotent stem cells. Secondly, adult stem cells appear to be much more restricted in their ability to differentiate into different cell types in the body, and it remains to be proven whether adult stem cells can truly give rise to all cell types in the body. Finally, the ability of adult stem cells to replicate is not as robust as embryonic stem cells."
She also reaffirmed FASEB's support of the National Institutes of Health's (NIH) Guidelines for Research Using Human Pluripotent Stem Cells. "Federal funding means medical progress under federal oversight," she said. "Scientists working under the NIH Guidelines and with federal oversight will be allowed to conduct the research and provide the cures and therapies that we are all seeking." The full text of Dr. Hendrix's testimony can be found on the web at http://www.faseb.org/opar/cloning.pi.page.html
FASEB is comprised of 21 societies with more than 60,000 members, making it the largest coalition of biomedical research associations in the United States. FASEB's mission is to enhance the ability of biomedical and life scientists to improve -- through their research-- the health, well-being and productivity of all people. FASEB serves the interests of these scientists in those areas related to public policy; facilitates coalition activities among Member Societies; and, disseminates information on biological research through scientific conferences and publications.
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