Senators Specter and Harkin Lead Senate Effort to Expand Federal Policy on Embryonic Stem Cell Research
Senator Arlen Specter (R-PA) and Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) recruited 58 of their Senate colleagues to sign a letter to President George W. Bush that urges an expansion of his Administration's current policy on embryonic stem cell research. As the Chair and Ranking Member of the Senate Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Subcommittee, Senators Specter and Harkin are two of the main Congressional proponents of stem cell-related research. This Senate letter follows a similar effort in the House that included 206 House members' signatures on an April 28, 2004, letter urging the President to remove the restrictions his Administration placed on federal funding of embryonic stem cell research on August 9, 2001 (please read "New Survey Finds Overwhelming Public Support for Expanded Stem Cell Research" on page 1 for more information about the House letter).
In their letter to the President, Senators Specter and Harkin state that "since the policy went into effect more than two years ago, we have learned that the embryonic stem cell lines eligible for federal funding will not be suitable to effectively promote this research." They cite four reasons why the current policy is exceedingly challenging to researchers:
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While it originally appeared that 78 embryonic stem cell lines would be eligible for federal funding under the Bush Administration's policy, only 19 lines are actually available.
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All 19 available stem cell lines are contaminated with mouse feeder cells, making their therapeutic use for future human trials uncertain.
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It is becoming increasingly difficult to attract new scientists to this area of research because of concerns that funding restrictions will keep embryonic stem cell research from being successful.
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Scientific leadership in this area of research is shifting from the U.S. to other countries that have more expansive stem cell research policies, such as the United Kingdom, Singapore, South Korea, and Australia.
The Specter-Harkin letter concludes with a pledge to work with the President to modify the current embryonic stem cell policy "so that it provides this area of research the greatest opportunity to lead to the treatments and cures for which we are all hoping."
The Society's current policy on stem cell research and cloning reaffirms ASH's commitment to federal funding of both embryonic and adult stem cell research but questions the genetic diversity and availability of the embryonic stem cell lines covered under the Administration's policy. In addition, ASH's policy supports efforts to prohibit the cloning of a human being but opposes an outright ban on all somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) experiments. The Society's policy also emphasizes that SCNT experiments cannot result in the cloning of a human being.
For more information on this issue and the Society's current policy statement, please go to the ASH Web site.
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NIH Publishes RFAs on MPDs and MDS
On May 21, 2004, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) published Requests for Applications (RFAs) on Myeloproliferative Disorders (MPDs) and Myelodysplasia (MDS) research. These grant opportunities are a direct result of ASH’s advocacy efforts at NIH and on Capitol Hill over the past two years. Letters of intent are due January 16, 2005; applications must be completed by February 16, 2005.
The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) and National Cancer Institute (NCI) intend to commit approximately $3.5 million in fiscal year 2005 to fund 12 new grants in response to the MPDs RFA
MPDs represent a broad range of clinical entities and may be linked to multiple exposures to environmental toxins, diminished immune surveillance, and the frequent use of mutagenic drugs and transplantation procedures for treatment of cancer. In addition, the RFA refers to the fact that, as the U.S. population ages, there is increasing concern regarding a greater likelihood for the development of MPDs. This RFA is intended to encourage research that uncovers the critical genetic, biochemical, and molecular pathways that are operative in the emergence and progression of MPDs and that will be essential in providing a framework upon which new therapeutic options can be designed.
The MPDs RFA invites applications that (1) focus on searching for new cellular and genetic markers associated with the origin and progression of MPDs, and (2) can be applied to the future development of novel therapeutics with curative intent. Interventional clinical trials on MPDs will be considered unresponsive to this RFA. It is hoped that the ultimate outcome of these basic research plans will be the direction of future studies in prevention and curative intervention. More information about the MPDs RFA is available at: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-HL-04-034.html.
NHLBI is committing approximately $3 million in fiscal year 2005 to fund ten new grants for the MDS RFA
The RFA cites several reasons for encouraging research in this area including:
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The frequency and incidence of MDS is increasing in the U.S. population.
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MDS may be influenced by factors such as advancing age, the use of cytotoxic and mutagenic therapies for cancer, and greater exposure to environmental toxins.
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The etiology and pathophysiology of myelodysplasia is still poorly understood.
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No curative therapies other than hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) are available to MDS patients, and many patients do not have access to nor are appropriate candidates for intensive HSCT therapy.
The MDS RFA will fund research that uncovers the critical genetic, biochemical, and molecular pathways that operate in the emergence and progression of MDS. The identification of biologic markers of MDS should improve disease characterization, earlier diagnosis, and identification of targets that can be exploited for either preventative or therapeutic intervention. The RFA encourages basic research on the pathogenesis and disease progression of MDS; applications should focus on understanding the genetic and cellular processes associated with MDS, not on interventional clinical trials. More information about the MDS RFA is available at: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-HL-04-033.html.
For the last two years, ASH has steadily encouraged NHLBI and NCI to support MPDs and MDS research. Efforts have included meetings between ASH officers and the Institute Directors, drafting congressional report language for appropriations bills, and raising interest on MPDs and MDS in Congressional offices.
Questions? More Information?
If you have questions or need more information about the MPDs RFA, please contact NHLBI's Jean Henslee-Downey, M.D., at 301-435-0065 or downeyj@nhlbi.nih.gov or NCI's R. Allan Mufson, Ph.D., at 301-496-7815 or am214t@nih.gov. If you have questions about the MDS RFA, please contact NHLBI's Dr. Henslee-Downey.
For other questions or information, please contact Jeff Coughlin, ASH's Government Affairs Manager, at 202-776-0544 or jcoughlin@hematology.org.
ASH has developed a Web page that lists all the hematology-related federal research grant opportunities.
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