US not happy on rule
August 26, 2010
US STEM cell researchers are
loudly voicing their displeasure in
the media over this week’s supreme
court ruling which effectively ceased all
new funding for stem cell research.
“The ruling is terrible news, not
only for scientists trying to find
therapies using human embryo
stem cells, but also for people who
depend on us to move as quickly
as possible to find those
therapies,” said head of the stem
cell research program at the
University of California San Diego,
Larry Goldstein.
According to the director of the
stem cell research program at The
Scripps Research Institute, Jeanne
Loring, the ruling itself is flawed
because under the Obama stem
cell funding policy no new lines of
stem cells could be created
(currently there are 75 embryonicstem-
cell lines created by excess
IVF embryos that were donated by
couples for research purposes).
As such rather than protecting
embryos, the policy overturn may,
according to Loring, prevent vital
disease research.
“I don’t understand how the
judge got it that wrong,” Loring
told local US media.
“The court decision threatens to
impede progress in regenerative
medicine in our country,” said
Rockfeller University professor, and
president of the International
Society for Stem Cell research Dr
Elaine Fuchs.
“It must be challenged as quickly
as possible,” she added.
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