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July 4, 2001
Responsible Stem Cell Research Act unveiled
New bill would fund adult stem-cell research
WASHINGTON (CNS) — As evidence of the effectiveness of adult stem-cell research continues to mount, a Catholic congressman introduced legislation June 7 that would provide at least $30 million annually to conduct and support such research.
Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J., unveiled the Responsible Stem Cell Research Act of 2001 at a Washington press conference June 8.
Smith spoke to the press three days after another lawmaker, Rep. Jim McDermott, D-Mass., introduced the Stem Cell Research Act of 2001, which would change federal law to allow for funding of stem-cell research involving the destruction of human embryos.
Meanwhile, a survey commissioned by the National Conference of Catholic Bishops found that 70 percent of Americans oppose federal funding of stem-cell research that requires destroying human embryos, compared to 24 percent who support it.
Asked to choose between funding all stem-cell research, both adult and embryonic, and funding only adult stem-cell research and similar alternatives, 67 percent of the respondents chose the latter approach and only 18 percent chose the former.
The margin of error on the poll of 1,013 adults conducted by International Communications Research of Media, Pa., was plus or minus 3 percentage points.
At his June 8 press conference, Smith said new breakthroughs involving adult stem-cell research are made public every week, offering potential cures for heart disease, Parkinson's, diabetes, Alzheimer's and spinal cord injuries.
"Adult stem cells are already being used to treat many diseases, such as brain tumors, ovarian cancer, leukemia, breast cancer, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, autoimmune diseases, stroke, immunodeficiencies, anemia, and blood and liver disease,'' he said. "But we can do so much more with adult stem cells.''
Smith's legislation would establish a national stem-cell donor bank at the National Institutes of Health to seek and preserve donations of adult stem cells and to make them available for biomedical research and for therapeutic purposes.
Joining him at the press conference were Mary Jane Owen, executive director of the National Catholic Office for Persons with Disabilities; David A. Prentice, professor of life sciences at Indiana State University and a founding member of Do No Harm — The Coalition of Americans for Research Ethics; Daniel D. Richard, founder and CEO of Cryo-Cell International Inc.; and Christopher Currie, a juvenile diabetes patient.
Owen, who lost her sight in 1972 and uses a wheelchair because of spinal cord and neurological damage, said the Smith legislation "provides Catholics with an opportunity to support this exciting area of research without violating their respect for all human persons.''
"I have very publicly opposed the destruction of my tiniest brothers and sisters as researchers have suggested such practices are the only way to `cure' my blindness and the other disabilities I have acquired over the years,'' she added.
Prentice cited "an avalanche of research reports'' showing success with adult stem cells and said they "have tremendous promise for treating degenerative diseases.''
"Adult stem cells are a success story in medical research, making good on the promises of regenerative medicine, with the potential to treat millions of Americans suffering from serious diseases,'' he added.
Commenting on the survey, Owen said she was "gratified to learn ... that a majority of my fellow citizens appear to agree with me that some experimentation is too threatening to our moral fiber as a nation to be tolerated.''
Richard Doerflinger, associate director for policy development at the U.S. bishops' Secretariat for Pro-Life Activities, said the telephone survey, conducted between June 1 and June 5, showed Americans' true feelings about stem-cell research involving embryos.
"Polls sponsored by groups promoting destructive embryo research claim to show broad support for their agenda,'' he said. "They create this illusion by ... presenting false and misleading claims as though they are fact, to push the respondents to a favorable answer.
"They even avoid mentioning the destruction of human embryos, asking only if people support the use of stem cells `that come from excess fertilized eggs,''' Doerflinger added. "Perhaps they use this scientifically absurd euphemism out of fear that many Americans recognize a `human embryo' as a human life.''
Asked at the press conference if he thought the Bush administration would approve NIH guidelines permitting embryonic stem-cell research, Smith said it would be "shocking beyond words'' if President Bush were to do that.
"I don't believe for a moment that the president will come down on the side of unethical research,'' he said. "It's not going to happen.''
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