By Marcelle Richards
Daily Bruin Senior Staff
President George W. Bush named UC San Francisco as one of 10
locations with stem cell lines eligible for use by federally-funded
scientists Monday. The nod of approval from the federal government
on Aug. 9 to fund stem cell research ““ which requires the use
of leftover human embryos from in vitro fertilization ““ will
allow the 10 labs to use cultures developed before that date.
If the research reaches the potential scientists hope it will,
it may be able to treat diabetes, Alzheimer’s,
Parkinson’s and heart disease by regenerating cells that have
been destroyed or damaged.
“UCSF is committed to furthering research on human
embryonic stem cells and will make its two cell lines available to
researchers as soon as we work out the conditions,” W. Sue
Shafer, UCSF’s assistant vice chancellor, said in a
statement.
There are four institutions in the United States and six in
Sweden, Australia, India and Israel with a total of 60 stem cell
lines.
UCSF possesses two lines, the first derived in January and the
second in May 2001.
To access the stem cells, the labs must first contact National
Institutes of Health investigators, who work for the agency that is
implementing the president’s plan.
Some scientists, like head UCSF researcher Roger Pederson, who
derived the two lines, are concerned the capped funding will not be
sufficient.
With only 60 lines, Pederson said, the potential for finding
medicines to cure or treat the targeted diseases may be
limited.
The NIH released a statement which backed the president’s
proceed-with-caution funding decision.
“The NIH believes that much basic research can and should
be conducted using existing stem cells before any conclusions can
be reached regarding the therapeutic potential of these unique
cells,” the statement said.
UCSF is working with Geron Corp., the company which helped
sponsor the derivation of the two stem cell lines, to finalize the
agreement which outlines the conditions for cell availability.