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I´m also a scientist and I´m also against human embryonic stem cell research
On 25 Mar 2004 at 7:57, Hans-Helmut Niller wrote:
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> http://listserv.acsu.buffalo.edu/cgi-bin/wa?S1=confocal
>
> Thanks for your letter. However, in this matter I will not help
> you, because I am strongly opposed to human embryonic stem cell
> research and especially opposed to its public funding.
>
> (Yes, I am a scientist).
>
> Best regards,
> Hans helmut Niller
>
> On 24 Mar 2004 at 21:20, Sandra Masur wrote:
>
> > Search the CONFOCAL archive at
> > http://listserv.acsu.buffalo.edu/cgi-bin/wa?S1=confocal
> >
> > TO: American Society for Cell Biology Members
> > FR: Larry Goldstein, Chairman, ASCB Public Policy Committee
> > DA: March 24, 2004
> > ________________________________________________________________________
> > Recent reports from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) confirm longstanding opinions that there are many fewer human embryonic stem cell lines eligible for Federal funding than was originally announced.
> > A bipartisan group of the House of Representatives, led by Rep. Michael Castle (R-DE) and Rep. Diana Degette (D-CO), is writing to President Bush asking him to expand the number of human embryonic stem cell lines eligible for Federal funding. Please contact you member of Congress and ask him or her to sign on to this bipartisan letter. It is critical that as many Members of Congress as possible sign this letter to show the President that there is broad bipartisan support in Congress for an expansion of
the
> current policy.
> >
> > BACKGROUND
> > Currently, the only human pluripotent
> > stem cell lines eligible for Federally funded research are those lines derived before August 9th, 2001. Since that time, the Administration has estimated that 78 stem cell lines around the world would meet the terms of that policy and, therefore, would be eligible for federally funded research. A recent report by the National Institutes of Health indicates, however, that as few as 15 of the 78 lines are actually available to scientists. Anecdotal reports have raised questions about the quality of some of
> these 15 lines. Thus, it appears that the current Federal policy is insufficient to provide researchers with the cell lines needed to do the research required to improve our understanding and treatment of many human diseases.
> >
> > WHAT CAN YOU DO?
> > 1) Call or e-mail you member of Congress.
> > Ask the staffer to call either Rep. Degette or Rep. Castle's office to sign on to the Castle-Degette Stem Cell Letter to the President Bush.
> > They need to hear from researchers like
> > you. They need to know that an expansion of the current Federal policy is important to people in their district.
> > If stem cell research is important to your field or research, explain how an expanded number of Federally funded stem cell lines would help your research.
> >
> > Even if your field of research does not involve stem cells, you can explain to the Representative that a limitation on stem cell research is having a harmful impact on American science, including the erosion of the reputation of the U.S. as the world leader in biomedical research.
> >
> >
> > 2) Urge your friends, colleagues and lab associates to call or send an e-mail also.
> > If you are not sure who your Member of Congress is/or how to contact them, see http://www.house.gov/
> > The ASCB Position Paper on Stem Cells is available for your review at http://www.ascb.org/publicpolicy/
> > If you have any questions, contact Kevin Wilson at [log in to unmask] or 301-347-9300.
> >
> >
> > The text of the Castle-DeGette letter to the President fo
> > llows.
> > Thank you for your attention to this urgent matter.
> >
> >
> > Dear Mr. President:
> > We write to urge you to expand the current federal policy concerning embryonic stem cell research.
> > As you know, embryonic stem cells have the potential to be used to treat and better understand deadly and disabling diseases that affect more than 100 million Americans, such as cancer, heart disease, diabetes, Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, multiple sclerosis, spinal cord injury, and many others.
> > Embryonic stem cells are derived from in vitro fertilized (IVF) embryos that are developed in excess of those needed for the process to allow infertile couples to have children. The IVF process results in more embryos than are needed by the couple. There are estimated to be more than 400,000 IVF embryos, which are currently frozen and will likely be destroyed if not donated, with informed consent of the couple, for research.
> >
> > We very much appreciate your words of support for the enormous potential of this rese
> > arch, and we know that you intended your policy to help promote this research to its fullest. As you know, the Administration's policy limits federal funding only to embryonic stem cells that were derived by August 9, 2001, the date of the policy announcement.
> >
> > However, scientists have told us that since the policy went into effect more than two years ago, we have learned much more about why the embryonic stem cell lines eligible for federal funding will not be suitable to effectively promote this research. We therefore feel it is essential to relax the restrictions in the current policy for this research to be fully explored.
> >
> > * Among the current challenges with the current policy are the following:
> >
> > * While it originally appeared that 78 embryonic stem cell lines would be available for research under the federal policy, now, more than two years after August 9, 2001, only 15 are available to researchers.
> >
> > * All available stem cell lines are contaminated with mouse feeder ce
> > lls, making their therapeutic use for humans uncertain.
> >
> > * Scientists are reporting that it is increasingly difficult to attract new scientists to this area of research because of concerns that funding restrictions will keep this research from being successful.
> >
> > * This promising field of research is moving overseas. We have already seen researchers move to countries like the United Kingdom, which have more supportive policies. In addition, leadership in this area of research has shifted to the United Kingdom, which sees this scientific area as a cornerstone of its biotech industry and which is leading the International Stem Cell Forum, made up of scientific agencies from nearly a dozen countries.
> >
> > Mr. President, we know that you have been a strong supporter of medical research and share our commitment to curing disease and alleviating human suffering. We would very much like to work with you to modify the current embryonic stem cell policy so that it provides this area of
> > research the greatest opportunity to lead to the treatments and cures we all are hoping for.
> >
> > Sincerely,
> > Members of Congress
> >
> > -==========
> >
> > Thanks for your support
> > Sandra K. Masur, PhD
> > President
> > WFG MSSM
> >
>
>
> ----------------------
> Dr. Hans Helmut Niller
> Institute for Medical Microbiology and Hygiene
> University Regensburg, Research Centre
> Landshuter Str. 22
> D - 93047 Regensburg
> Germany
> phone: +49 941 59509-607
> fax: +49 941 59609-608
> e-mail: [log in to unmask]
Dr Pedro J Camello
Dept Physiology
Fac Veterinary Sci
Univ of Extremadura
Campus Universitario
10071 Caceres
SPAIN
Phone/Fax: 927-25-71-54
[log in to unmask]
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