Letter to President Bush from GOP Members of Congress

Dear Mr. President:

We are writing to express our concerns over the current progress of the National Institute of Health's (NIH) Human Embryonic Stem Cell Registry HESCR) as well as recent reports from the scientific community that human stem cell research in the United States could be handicapped by animal interaction during laboratory research. We ask that you revisit your August 9, 2001 policy in light of this new information. U.S. scientists continue to express their concern about the quality, longevity, availability and terms of use of the stem cell lines made available under the policy. Specifically, the creation of enough sterile, virus-free lines for potential cell-based therapy is of major concern.

The NIH has established the HESCR, which lists stem cell lines that are eligible for use in federally funded research and currently available to be shipped to scientists. The NIH registry originally listed 14 universities and companies that had derived a total of 78 human embryonic stem cell lines, which were eligible for use in federally funded research under the August 2001 policy. However, eventually many of these stem cell lines were found to be either unavailable or unsuitable for research. The NIH has testified that as of today, the HESCR only lists a total of 11 stem cell lines available for research.

The human embryonic stem cell lines that have been isolated to date have all been grown on beds of mouse "feeder" cells. These mouse cells secrete a substance that prevents the human embryonic stem cells from differentiating into more mature cell types (such as nerve or muscle cells). Infectious agents, such as viruses, within the mouse feeder cells could transfer into the human cells. If the human cells were transplanted into a patient, these infected human cells may cause disease in the patient, which could eventually be transmitted to the general public. Researchers at Johns Hopkins found that human bone marrow cells can also act as feeder cells for human embryonic stem cells without causing contamination and preventing those embryonic stem cells from morphing into more mature cell types.

Therefore, we ask that you review the August 9, 2001 policy to determine the following: 1) Whether the policy has made enough lines available for this fast-growing research community and 2) Whether changes should be made to allow for the creation of new sterile, uncontaminated stem cell lines such as those that are currently being produced through recent discoveries at Johns Hopkins University.

Diabetes, various cancers, spinal cords injuries, ALS, Alzheimers and many other illnesses and disabilities are likely to benefit from the advances achieved by therapeutic human stem cell research. However, like you and virtually all Americans, we are strongly opposed to the use of stem cell research for human reproductive purposes.

As this research moves forward, we continue to learn the safest ways to adapt stem cells for future human exposure. We have learned that disease is a complex and evolving enemy -- one that draws upon the forces of heredity, environmental factors, and the aging process. The types of findings such as those at Johns Hopkins, will allow this research to be more quickly adapted for human therapeutic use. We must have a national policy that allows such research discoveries to move forward and not handcuff our scientists. These recent breakthroughs are too important to the development of this potential life saving research and they deserve a thorough review to assess the impact they may have on the country's current stem cell research policy.

Sincerely,