FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 14, 2004
Contact: Josh Freed
(202) 225-4431

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Representatives Mike Castle (R-DE) and Diana DeGette (D-CO), authors of H.R. 4682, the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act and architects of the bipartisan letter urging President Bush to expand his stem cell policy, today called the Administration's plans to create a national stem cell bank a positive step but stops short of providing researchers the full federal support they need.

"The idea of creating a national stem cell bank is a useful, albeit, small step forward. It does, once again, demonstrate that the Administration acknowledges the promise of embryonic stem cell research and that they have been listening to our calls for an expansion of the policy. I am also pleased about the expansion of the Centers of Excellence, a proposal I had recommended to the White House. However, this announcement does not change the fundamental issue that in order to capture the full potential of this promising research, the Administration must expand their restrictive policy," Rep. Castle said.

"The current stem cell lines are of an inadequate quality and consistency for researchers. While the Administration is taking a small step to correct this problem, they are leaving in place their broader policy that has chilled scientific advances by severely limiting federal support for stem cell research,” said Rep. DeGette. “No one should mistake this announcement for a positive change in policy. The federal government is still banned from supporting the development of disease-specific stem cell lines and still banned from granting scientists access to new lines that would add to the genetic diversity of stem cells available for research.”

"Science is moving rapidly and we need to ensure federal funding for research on stem cell lines does not remain frozen in 2001 science. While the federal policy permits research on just 19 stem cell lines developed in 2001, there are now approximately 200 stem cell lines that are safer and more robust that cannot be used. Scientists need access to genetically diverse lines that represent racial and ethnic diversity and they need to be able to use lines developed without contaminants in order to pursue therapeutic advances. This cannot happen under the current policy. Not one patient in America should believe that today's announcement in any way expands access to more cell lines, which is what we really need to deliver on the promise of embryonic stem cells," said Rep. Castle.

The Castle-DeGette Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services, through the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to fund research on embryonic stem cell lines derived after the August 9, 2001 policy established by the White House. The legislation builds on existing NIH embryonic stem cell guidelines and establishes strict guidelines for federal funding of research using new stem cell lines.

The legislation is endorsed by the Coalition for the Advancement of Medical Research, comprised of more than 85 nationally recognized medical and scientific research organizations, the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, the Christopher Reeve Paralysis Foundation, the Parkinson's Action Network, the Cancer Research and Prevention Foundation, the American Association of Universities and the Republican Main Street Partnership.

###