New US bills seek to promote stem cell research

WASHINGTON - Aiming to circumvent President George W Bush's limits on the use of stem cells from human embryos, members of Congress on Wednesday introduced bills to allow federal funding of embryonic stem cell research.

Supporters from both major parties joined the co-ordinated introduction in the House of Representatives and Senate, saying they have given up on persuading Bush to change his policy.

"If the federal government doesn't act, we're going to have a patchwork of state laws - and that's already happening, " said Senator Dianne Feinstein, a California Democrat helping to sponsor the bill.

"California, for instance, is launching a US$3 billion initiative to fund cutting-edge stem cell research. In 2004, New Jersey created a US$25 million embryonic stem cell research center," Feinstein said.

Wisconsin, Connecticut and New York also have funding measures in the works.

Supporters say stem cell research could transform medicine by providing ways to replace diseased tissue and treat or cure cancer, heart disease, Alzheimer's and diabetes.

Of several sources of stem cells, only those taken from early human embryos are controversial. Supporters of the research say they could be the most valuable sort of stem cell. Opponents including Bush say it is unethical to destroy a human embryo.

Bush has limited the use of federal funding to stem cell batches, or lines, that already existed as of August 2001. Scientists complain that not many of these lines are useful and that they are contaminated with mouse cells and unsuitable for testing in human beings.

The bills would make any embryonic stem cell lines eligible for federal funding and provide for strict federal oversight of their use.

"It's now clear that the president's policy offers only false hope to the millions of people across this country who are suffering from diseases that could be cured or treated through stem cell research - diseases like juvenile diabetes, Parkinson's, ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or Lou Gehrig's disease), and many more," said Iowa Democratic Sen Tom Harkin.

Congressional supporters of the bill include strong opponents of abortion, who say the research can be done using embryos slated for destruction at fertility clinics.

Feinstein said she and other senators also planned to introduce a bipartisan bill to encourage so-called therapeutic cloning, or somatic cell nuclear transfer. This technique produces stem cells directly from a patient.

Bush has said he plans to work to outlaw it completely.

- REUTERS