08.25.06

Senators Cantwell, Harkin Back Research Efforts, Tout Promise of Stem Cell Research at Hutch

Senators, leading researchers highlight harmful impact of president’s stem cell veto, need for federal investment in research

SEATTLE, WA – Friday, U.S. Senators Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and Tom Harkin (D-IA) joined leading researchers at Seattle’s Fred Hutchison Cancer Research Center to emphasize the importance of a strong federal investment in research and highlight the potential of stem cell research to improve the health of millions of Americans. Cantwell and Harkin have both pushed to reduce restrictions on federal funding of stem cell research to allow places like the Hutch to expand research efforts and develop new, more effective treatments.

“Current restriction leave too many scientists with their hands tied, unable to research groundbreaking new cures for some of our most debilitating ailments,” said Cantwell. “The Senate has already voted overwhelmingly to green-light this promising research, but the president decided to use his first veto to block potential cures for millions of Americans. The president and Republican leaders have also pushed through big cuts to other cutting-edge research at school like UW and WSU at a time when we should be increasing our investment in our universities. I support a strong federal investment in research, and will fight to make sure the federal government does not stand in the way of effective treatments for some of the most debilitating diseases we face in this country today.”

“Stem cell research provides hope for tens of millions of patients suffering from diseases or paralysis. Nothing could be more pro-life than searching for a remedy to treat their conditions,” Harkin said. “The President and the administration have staked out an extreme, ideological position – a position that flies in the face of science and common sense. This November, we need to know where every candidate stands on this issue. We will continue to fight to expand stem cell research in the next Congress and we intend to prevail.”

Cantwell and Harkin joined Dr. Beverly Torok-Storb and other leading researchers Friday to discuss stem cell research and the importance of federal research funding. Not only have overly-stringent federal restrictions slowed the progress of stem cell research, but recent budget cuts to federal research in general have caused funding shortages at leading research institution like the University of Washington and Washington State University. On Tuesday, the Seattle Times published an article citing a marked decrease in federal research support this year resulting from cuts to the in National Institutes of Health (NIH) budget. Last year, the NIH budget, which accounts for more than half of UW’s federal research grants, dropped by $16 million.

Cantwell and Harkin have both vowed to fight for increased research funding during Senate consideration of appropriations legislation this fall. Harkin is a member of the Senate appropriations subcommittees with jurisdiction over health and science funding.

The University of Washington boasts more than 70 labs involved in stem-cell biology. However, a lack of funding for this research means some top scientists have left UW to conduct their studies elsewhere—including three top stem-cell researchers recruited by other universities in recent months. Stem cell-related research at UW most recently focused on liver diseases such as Hepatitis B and liver failure. The Hutch currently uses adult stem cells to treat certain blood cancers, including leukemia, lymphoma, and multiple myeloma.

Expanding research options could open new doors to potential cures for ailments like Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, diabetes, heart disease, and spinal cord injuries. Approximately 35,000 Washingtonians live with Parkinson’s, 298,000 have been diagnosed with diabetes, 160,000 have suffered from heart failure, 248 suffer from new spinal cord injuries annually, and one in ten will be affected by some form of liver disease in their lifetime.

In July, the Senate passed the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act on a 63-37 vote with the strong support of Cantwell and Harkin. However, the legislation was vetoed by the president and a veto-override vote failed in the House. Despite the president’s veto, Cantwell has vowed to keep up the fight to ease restriction on federally funded stem cell research.

Embryonic stem cell research offers the greatest promise to Americans suffering from ailments like Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, and spinal cord injuries. Current restrictions on federally funded stem cell research are so limited that nearly all research options under these restrictions have been exhausted. This leaves many researchers unable to investigate promising new treatments that could offer groundbreaking cures.

The Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act, approved by Congress earlier this year but vetoed by the president, would have lifted many restrictions on stem cell lines derived after August 9, 2001, allowing federal funds to be used to study and examine them. The bill would not have allowed federal funds to be used to derive the lines. The legislation would also have imposed ethical rules that are tighter than under current law, limiting federally funded research to embryos donated to in vitro fertilization clinics that would never be implanted because they are in excess of the needs of the individuals seeking treatment and would be discarded if not used for research. Further, the individuals who donated the embryos would have been required to give written, informed consent. Since August 9, 2001, 125 stem cell lines world-wide have been created using private funds.

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