New Science on Stem Cells Draws White House Focus

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The Wall Street Journal

January 10, 2007

New Science on Stem Cells Draws White House Focus
By SARAH LUECK
January 10, 2007; Page A6

WASHINGTON -- With the House preparing to expand federal funding of embryonic stem-cell research, the Bush administration is trying to change the terms of the debate by promoting methods of developing stem cells that don't harm embryos.

Facing likely approval, first in the House and later in the Senate, of an embryonic stem-cell research expansion, the White House confirmed it has been working on a possible executive order related to stem-cell research, though a spokesman wouldn't provide details. Stem-cell research advocates said the order would endorse federal funding for research involving nonembryonic stem cells. Though that wouldn't represent a change in the limits Mr. Bush placed on embryonic stem-cell research in 2001, it may help the White House respond to criticism of an expected veto of the embryonic stem-cell bill, which has broad support in Congress and among the public.

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Senate and House backers of stem-cell research have added to their ranks, partly because of elections in which Democrats picked up seats. Sen. Tom Harkin (D., Iowa) predicted the Senate has the two-thirds support that would be needed to override a veto. That isn't likely in the House, but proponents are promising to "introduce it over and over," as Rep. Diana DeGette, a Colorado Democrat sponsoring the bill, said yesterday. Mr. Bush's veto could prolong the debate into the presidential campaign season, causing Republican candidates -- who largely support expanded funding for stem-cell research -- to find a way to state their position without inflaming their antiabortion base.

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The White House's Domestic Policy Council is working on a report, to be released today, that highlights nonembryonic stem-cell progress, including a study published this week that described cells in the amniotic fluid of pregnant women as having similar characteristics of embryonic stem cells... Backers of expanded stem-cell research dismissed the strategy as a distraction. If Mr. Bush issues an executive order promoting other methods, it won't change policy, said Sean Tipton, president of the Coalition for the Advancement of Medical Research, who called it "a political fig leaf." Backers are frustrated that antiabortion Republicans, including Mr. Bush, have seized on the study of amniotic stem cells, which was published this week in the journal Nature Biotechnology, to bolster claims additional stem-cell research using embryos isn't needed.

The study "is noteworthy, but it does not represent a major breakthrough," Mr. Harkin said. Ms. DeGette and Rep. Michael Castle (R., Del.), another sponsor of the House bill, released a letter yesterday from one of the authors of the study on amniotic cells, Anthony Atala, director of the Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine. Dr. Atala wrote in his letter that the legislation likely to pass the House this week would "speed science in the regenerative medicine field" and that his work on amniotic stem cells is complementary to, not a substitute for, embryonic stem-cell research.

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