Specter Urges President To
Expand Stem Cell Policy
April 25, 2003 - Senator Arlen Specter (R-Pa,), chairman
of the Senate Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations Subcommittee,
sent a letter
April 21 to President Bush urging him to expand the policy
regarding human stem cells established by the President on
Aug. 9, 2001.
Citing new methods for growing human stem cells without the
use of mouse feeder cells and bovine serum, Senator Specter
stated a reevaluation of the restrictions placed on the program
is needed, "so that new stem cell lines that have never
been exposed to animal cells can be safely used to create
treatments and cures that will improve the health of millions
of Americans."
"The lack of availability and safety concerns associated
with the stem cell lines currently available to federally-funded
researchers are impeding progress toward cures," the
letter states. Senator Specter cited testimony by James Battey,
M.D., of the National Institutes of Health on April 8 "that
of the 78 stem cell lines identified as eligible for federal
funding, only 11 are actually available to doctors and scientists.
Importantly, all of these eligible stem cell lines have been
exposed to mouse feeder cells."
Senator Specter has tentatively scheduled a hearing for May
8 to explore this issue further.
Information:
Tony Mazzaschi, Senior Associate Vice President
AAMC Biomedical Health Sciences Research
tmazzaschi@aamc.org
(202) 828-0059
Get Washington Highlights
in your Inbox!
| 
