April 27, 2001
Stem Cell Review Meeting Canceled; Administration Review Continues
The National Institutes of Health has cancelled the Human Pluripotent Stem Cell Review Group (HPSCRG) meeting scheduled for April 25. NIH officials said the meeting was canceled due to the ongoing department review of the stem cell issue. According to NIH, the Group was scheduled to review two submissions of compliance materials based on the use of a cell line from the same derivation procedure.
During testimony before the Senate Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations Subcommittee on April 25, Secretary of Health and Human Services Tommy Thompson said that the HHS General Counsel legal opinion that allowed the NIH to pursue stem cell research activities is currently under review. He also indicated that NIH is in the process of "conducting a scientific review" of stem cell research. According to the secretary, the legal review and the NIH scientific review will be submitted to him in early June.
Sen. Sam Brownback (R-Kan.) and Rep. David Weldon (R-Fla.) April 26 introduced legislation (S. 790, H.R. 1644) that would prohibit somatic cell nuclear transfer. Sen. Brownback said the bill would prevent the cloning of human embryos, "a process which some also propose as a way to create embryos for research or as sources of cells and tissues for possible treatment of other humans.... There is no need for this technology to ever be used with humans whether for reproduction purposes for for destructive research purposes." Sen Brownback has scheduled a hearing on the issue of cloning for May 2.
Information: Tony Mazzaschi, AAMC Division of Biomedical and Health Sciences Research, 202-828-0059.
