More Money Required For STEM CELL Research in Canada?

Stem cells are critical for regenerative medicine, medicine that involves growing new cells, tissues or organs, according to the article below. Stem cell therapies are being used to treat a number of diseases including leukemia and some immune disorders and experimental procedures are being done for other illnesses. The writer suggests that unless the government spends a lot more in this area, then Canada will fall behind other countries in this research.
    . . . June

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Canada's mantle as stem-cell leader fading, experts warn:

By Meagan Fitzpatrick, Postmedia News November 2, 2010

OTTAWA — Canada has been a world-renowned leader in stem cell research but is now falling behind and its international reputation is at risk unless major investments are made in the rapidly evolving field, researchers warned parliamentarians Tuesday.

Canada first discovered stem cells, the precursors of all cells in the body, 50 years ago and, until recently, was at the forefront of research, MPs on the House of Commons health committee heard Tuesday from leading experts in the field. Funding is drying up, however, and Canada is quickly being overtaken by other jurisdictions which are spending massive amounts of money because they consider stem cell research the future of medicine.

"Stem cell research is an area which Canada has pioneered, has led the world, and we've got the talent, the will and the expertise to continue to do so," said Dr. Drew Lyall, chair of the Canadian Stem Cell Foundation. "It's simply not realistic to expect Canada, or indeed anyone else, to keep up to remain globally competitive in the long-term without some further dedicated investment in the field."

Lyall and other witnesses testifying before the committee, noted that the state of California alone, is investing $3 billion over a 10-year period in stem cell research projects. The entire country of Canada is investing nowhere near that amount, he said.

Stem cells are critical for regenerative medicine, medicine that involves growing new cells, tissues or organs. Stem cell therapies are being used to treat a number of diseases including leukemia and some immune disorders and experimental procedures are being done for other illnesses.

Stem cell therapies are considered to hold great promise for treating Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, arthritis, diabetes, hemophilia and spinal cord injuries.

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Is Stem-Cell Research Put On Hold Permanently?

 I feel that stem cell research is a very important part of our health system. I agree that there is a moral issue, particularly if the stem cells are collected for that purpose, but there is a huge opportunity to advance our medical knowledge in so many ways. Until such time as we can artificially supply this type of duplicating cell, then I think we should be advancing into this area aggresively.
   . . . June


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American Society For Biochemistry And Molecular Biology Reacts To Stem-Cell Ruling
Posted on: Friday, 3 September 2010, 14:41 CDT 

 Science News - redOrbit: "The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology expressed its disapproval and disappointment this week in response to the Aug. 23 ruling in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia that granted a preliminary injunction barring federal funding of embryonic stem-cell research.

In a statement, the society said the decision, which came in response to a lawsuit filed by two adult stem-cell researchers, effectively halts human embryonic stem-cell research in the United States and 'represents a crossroads in American scientific policy.'

The society, which represents more than 12,000 scientists in both academia and industry worldwide, urged Congress to act swiftly to pass legislation that will restore federal funding to embryonic stem-cell researchers as to not further delay 'potential medical cures for millions of sick Americans.'

Meanwhile, the society said the ruling undercuts the "gold standard" peer-review process by allowing the merits of research projects to be determined by those on the judicial bench instead of those working at the laboratory bench: "Funding of basic biomedical research is not a zero-sum game in which particular lines of research are supported at the expense of others; rather, the system has evolved so that each proposal is evaluated on both its merits and its future benefits for easing the burden of disease."
The peer-review process "is by nature competitive," the statement said, and has "resulted in new biomedical methodologies and technologies that continue to benefit society at large."

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