Concerns that stem cell study could influence future embryonic stem cell legislation

Mary Agnes Carey, associate editor of CQ HealthBeat, discusses the concerns of Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Releated Agencies members that a technique that could derive human embryonic stem cells without destroying human embryos, recently published in the journal Nature, could impede funding for stem cell research in this week's "Health on the Hill From kaisernetwork.org and CQ."

According to Carey, Sens. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) and Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) are concerned that an article published in the journal Nature did not accurately describe a technique developed by Massachusetts-based biotech firm Advanced Cell Technology aimed at deriving human embryonic stem cells without destroying embryos.

Specter and Harkin said the technique gives the impression that embryos do not need to be destroyed for embryonic stem cell research and might lead Congress to avoid considering the expansion of federal funding for such research (Carey, "Health on the Hill from kaisernetwork.org and CQ," 9/12).

For the Nature study, Robert Lanza, medical director ACT, and colleagues described the technique as removing a single cell -- known as a blastomere -- from a three-day-old embryo with eight to 10 cells and using a biochemical process to create embryonic stem cells from the blastomere.

Researchers removed 91 blastomeres from 16 thawed embryos donated by fertility clinic patients and found that more than half of the blastomeres began to multiply and that in two cases the blastomeres became embryonic stem cells.

The method of removing a cell from the embryo is based on preimplantation genetic diagnosis, or PGD, which usually is used to test the cell for genetic deficiencies.

At the time the Nature article was published, Lanza said that the research destroyed some of the embryos used but that single-cell extractions that leave the embryo unharmed should be feasible in the future.

Nature last month corrected wording in a news release it had distributed in advance of the study's release, and officials from the journal last week said they plan to change the study to further clarify that none of the embryos used survived the experiment (Kaiser Daily Women's Health Policy Report, 9/7).

According to Carey, an ACT representative supported the firm's findings and said the company wants to increase the number of stem cell lines that qualify for federal funding.

Carey adds that legislators who support expanding funding for embryonic stem cell research likely will continue to press Congress to pass the legislation that Bush vetoed in July ("Health on the Hill from kaisernetwork.org and CQ," 9/12).

The complete audio version of "Health on the Hill," transcript and resources for further research are available online.