Stem cell hopes fuel policy woes

The great therapeutic potential of human embryonic stem (ES) cells (see Box) and the thorny ethical issues surrounding their use have prompted many governments to revisit existing regulations on embryo research (see Table on next page). Just in recent weeks, the Canadian government proposed regulatory guidelines that would allow the derivation and use of ES cells from human embryos but, unlike legislation that was passed earlier this year in the United Kingdom, would outlaw the creation of embryos for research purposes. Meanwhile, in the United States the National Institutes of Health (NIH) called off its review of research proposals that make use of ES cells — the first to be submitted since the moratorium on federally funded research in this area was lifted last year. The issue as to whether NIH should fund embryo research is currently under review by Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson. The proposed Canadian law, submitted to a parliamentary committee by Liberal Health Minister Allan Rock, deals with all aspects of reproductive technology, including embryo research. It advocates that research on stem cells from human embryos that have been created by in vitro fertilization should be allowed under strict guidelines. However, all human cloning (regardless of whether it is for therapeutic or reproductive purposes) and the creation of embryos to obtain stem cells are banned. According to Janet Rossant, co-head of the program in development and fetal health at the Samuel Lunenfeld Research Institute in Toronto, Canada, the scientific community is supportive of the legislation because “we want to see research with human embryos move forward and to do that you need clear regulatory guidelines.” Rossant was chair of an ad hoc Working Group on Stem Cell Research formed at the request of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR, a funding agency analogous to the NIH). The group’s recommendations to allow CIHR funding of human ES cell research but not the creation of embryos for research purposes or the creation of human–animal chimeras were released for public comment on April 29 and will serve as the basis for CIHR to develop guidelines for funding stem cell research. Although the proposed CIHR guidelines cover only publicly funded research, the CIHR urged the government to create a national body to oversee all stem cell research, so that private and public sector would abide to the same guidelines. The legislation to be introduced to Canadian parliament proposes to do just that. However, according to Rossant, how the News focus