Regents pressed on stem cell policy

LINCOLN — University of Nebraska researchers should be allowed to use new lines of embryonic stem cells that could soon be approved under new federal guidelines, say two national scientists sought out by a Nebraska pro-research group.

It would be “unprecedented” nationally for the NU Board of Regents to enact a policy that was stricter than either state or federal law, said Lawrence S.B. Goldstein, a California researcher who uses embryonic stem cells to investigate the causes of Alzheimer's disease.

The University of Nebraska would be a national “laughingstock,” said Wise Young, a Rutgers University researcher who studies spinal cord injuries. Young's research involves umbilical cord blood cells, not embryonic stem cells.

After President Barack Obama approved new regulations this year that could allow more cell lines to be developed for research, Nebraska Right to Life and other anti-abortion groups began pressing the regents to prohibit the expansion of embryonic stem cell research at the NU Medical Center.

The anti-abortion groups plan to protest at Friday's regents meeting and, during a public comment period, to ask the board to limit the research to cell lines previously approved by President George W. Bush.

The groups have urged their members to contact the five regents who were endorsed by Nebraska Right to Life when they ran for office: Tim Clare of Lincoln, Howard Hawks of Omaha, Jim McClurg of Lincoln, Bob Phares of North Platte and Randy Ferlic of Omaha.

Regents Chairman Kent Schroeder of Kearney said he wants the board to take a stand on the issue before year's end.

“Those on both sides of this issue deserve some kind of response from the board before the end of the calendar year,” Schroeder said.

However, a decision — up or down — is unlikely to be made at Friday's meeting, he said.

As of Wednesday, no proposals regarding the research were on the regents' agenda. Schroeder said he did not expect any of his fellow regents to propose a resolution in time for the meeting.

Goldstein plans to speak at the regents meeting. His expenses are being paid by the Nebraska Coalition for Lifesaving Cures. Young has submitted a letter of support.

Nebraska law forbids university funds and facilities from being used to create or destroy embryos for research purposes.

However, university policy has allowed embryonic stem cell research to occur with pre-existing lines of cells approved by the federal government. A couple of NU Medical Center scientists conduct such research.

Embryonic stem cell research typically is conducted on “lines” of cells generated from an embryo, not on the original embryo. Goldstein's lab, for example, does not generate the cell lines itself.

Instead, his lab obtains the lines of embryonic cells developed at private laboratories. The lines come from embryos that were created for in vitro fertilization but otherwise would have been discarded.

Julie Schmit-Albin, executive director of Nebraska Right to Life, said that even though NU scientists would not be directly creating or destroying embryos, the new federal guidelines will allow more embryos to be destroyed for research.

Schmit-Albin said lifesaving research can be conducted successfully with cells obtained without destroying embryos, such as cord blood cells and adult stem cells.

The scientists maintain that the new Obama regulations impose ethical requirements that are, in some ways, stricter than those imposed by Bush. They said the former president simply allowed federally funded research to go forward with existing stem cell lines.

The new regulations require documentation that embryos were freely donated, without coercion or payment, by people who have gone through in vitro fertilization procedures and who otherwise would have the embryos discarded, they said.

Only one of the so-called Bush lines is among the 91 cell lines now requested for approval by the National Institutes of Health.

Young said to limit Nebraska researchers to the Bush lines would effectively ban embryonic stem cell research at the University of Nebraska.

“If this condition were imposed, no serious stem cell scientist would want to join the University of Nebraska,” Young said.

“Such a decision would make the University of Nebraska a laughingstock among scientists, something that would make recruitment of the best faculty and top students extremely difficult.”

Goldstein said it is ethical to conduct research with embryos that otherwise would be destroyed. Excess embryos are routinely created during in vitro fertilization procedures, he said.

“For over 20 years in this country, we've condoned the creation and certain destruction of embryos to treat the nonlife-threatening condition of infertility,” he said.

Contact the reporter:

402-473-9581, leslie.reed@owh.com

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