US Congress takes another stab at stem cell bill
Source: Reuters
By Maggie Fox, Health and Science Editor WASHINGTON, Jan 8 (Reuters) - The U.S. Congress will take another stab at stem cell legislation later this week, hoping newly elected supporters of controversial aspects of the research will help them override White House objections. Sponsors in both the House and the Senate have reintroducedthe same bill that President George W. Bush vetoed last July, and will discuss it later this week. "The November election brought us a number of new members who support stem cell research," said Colorado Democratic Rep. Diana DeGette, one of the bill's sponsors. "I think we may be close to or at an ability to override the veto in the Senate," DeGette said in a telephone interview. Polls show the U.S. public generally supports the use of human embryos in stem cell research, depending on the source. Most now come from embryos left over from fertility treatments, frozen in clinics. Stem cells are the body's master cells, found throughout the tissue and blood. But they vary in their pliability -- so-called adult stem cells are less malleable and do not survive as long as embryonic stem cells, taken from days-old embryos. Researchers almost universally agree that it is vital to work with all types of stem cells to try to create tailored medicine and to understand the basic biology of life and disease. The hope is to use the cells to treat diseases such as juvenile diabetes and cancer and to perhaps replace damaged organs. Opponents of embryonic stem cell research, including Bush, say it is unethical to experiment on human embryos, even those never destined to become a baby. LITTLE SIGN OF CHANGE Bush spokesman Tony Snow signalled no change in that approach, and praised a study published on Sunday from Dr. Anthony Atala at Wake Forest University in North Carolina, who found stem cells in the amniotic fluid that protects unborn fetuses. Snow pointed out that Bush legalized the use of federal funds for embryonic stem cell research, even though his August 2001 executive order severely restricts the research that can be done using federal dollars. "The vast majority of breakthroughs right now, virtually all, have involved those other than embryonic stem cells. And the president certainly supports continued research along those lines," Snow told reporters on Monday. DeGette said she did not worry that the amniotic stem cell finding would affect anyone's vote in Congress. "People who were already opposed to the bill will simply use this as an excuse," she said. "I don't think we'll lose any votes because of this." Maureen Knightly, a staffer for Iowa Democratic Sen. Tom Harkin, agreed and said she hoped recent polls showing strong support for the research might sway Bush. "You have to always hold out one last hope that he will change his mind," she said. Elizabeth Wenk, a staffer for House of Representatives co-sponsor Mike Castle, a Delaware Republican, said she hoped senators might be able to change the bill's language to make it more acceptable to Bush. "The chances of changing the bill are high," she said. Other countries have struggled with the issue. Britain, Belgium, Sweden, Canada and New Zealand actively encourage stem cell research. Austria, Lithuania and Poland have laws banning human embryonic stem cell research. (With additional reporting by Jeremy Pelofsky in Washington)
| AlertNet news is provided by |  |
