(Circulation. 2000;101:e31.)
© 2000 American Heart Association, Inc.
Circulation Electronic Pages |
Varmus Proposes Guidelines for Stem Cell Research
1 Circulation Newswriter
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Introduction |
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After almost a year of discussion and debate, Harold Varmus, MD, director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), has proposed guidelines under which federally funded scientists can pursue research using human pluripotent stem cells.
The issue has been politically charged. Conservative members of Congress have gone on record against the use of the cell cultures because they believe it violates the federal ban on research using human embryos. In response, petitions from well-known US researchers and Nobel laureates arrived, stating that to ignore such an opportunity would delay, and even prevent, the development of treatments for many now-untreatable and incurable diseases.
In December 1998, 2 different research groups reported that they had isolated and cultured human pluripotent stem cells from 2 different sources. Pluripotent stems cells are early progenitors of most of the specialized cells in the human body. The various tissues and organs in the body are composed of these cells. In culture, stem cells can divide for an indefinite period of time.
However, the 2 methods used by the researchers raised ethical issues. One group derived their cells from early-stage human embryos that were created and then not used for the in vitro fertilization of women seeking treatment for infertility problems. The second group derived their cells from fetuses that had been aborted. In each case, the patients involved gave consent to have their embryos or fetal tissue used in the research. Neither of the groups used federal money.
Shortly after the research findings were released, Dr