Position Statement on Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research, 2008

The potential of human embryonic stem cell research (hESC) to help us better understand and treat diseases and disorders has been demonstrated in animal models since 2001.  Stem cells have the capacity to become any cell in the body without being able to develop into a complete human being; they are immortal and seem to be able to divide without limitation; and they can be genetically manipulated with great ease, which gives them enormous therapeutic utility.  Given the scientific and medical benefits that are likely result from this research, the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation supports the responsible pursuit of human embryonic stem cell research.

There are at least three basic opportunities presented by embryonic stem cell research.  First, it could lead to the development of innovative replacement or transplantation therapies for diseases and disorders such as spinal cord injuries, diabetes, heart disease, and Parkinson's disease.  Second, hESC research can provide a deeper understanding of how organisms, including human beings, develop that will enable scientists to better elucidate ways the body might repair itself.  And third, stem cells can be used as a surrogate in the screening and testing of drugs.

On August 9, 2001, the Bush Administration announced that federal funds could be used to support research using selected human embryonic stem cell lines, approximately 78 lines.  Today, the NIH Human Embryonic Stem Cell Registry lists 21 lines as being available.  It is clear that the number of lines currently available is well short of what is necessary to vigorously advance this research.
The Reeve Foundation recognizes that responsible stem cell research involves the careful orchestration of scientific and ethical issues and it believes that the 2007 Amended National Academies of Science 2005 Guidelines for Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research strike a proper balance.

The three 2007 year-end publications that report studies reprogramming human skin cells to revert back to what appear to be human embryonic stem cells (called IPS, induced pluripotent stem cells) has electrified the field of stem cell research.  They also underscored the very real need to continue push forward on all fronts.  The early promise of the IPS technology is far from being fully realized and much remains to be learned from the study of embryonic stem cells.

Therefore, the Reeve Foundation adds its voice to those of the many other research institutions, organizations and scientists who have called for a relaxation of the August 2001 guidelines.  The Reeve Foundation believes that the responsible, unfettered pursuit of stem cell research is the surest, more direct way to the development of rational therapies for many diseases and disorders.

 Stem Cell Links:
International Society for Stem Cell Research
National Institutes of Health
Coalition for the Advancement of Medical Research
Institute of Medicine's Guidelines for Embryonic Stem Cell Research  

Key Facts About Stem Cells

Stem cells are the building blocks of our bodies. They have the unique ability to turn into and regenerate the specialized cells that make up our tissues, bones and organs.

• Adult type stem cells are found in the body tissues, including tissues in the bodies of adults and in discarded umbilical cords and placentas. Scientists have been conducting research with adult stem cells for over 50 years and have developed a number of medical therapies that use adult stem cells, such as bone marrow transplants to treat leukemia.
• Embryonic stem cells are the new frontier in stem cell research. There are two basic sources of embryonic stem cells: leftover fertility clinic embryos that would otherwise be discarded and a process called Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer (SCNT).
• SCNT is a recent medical breakthrough that can use a patient's own cells and an unfertilized human egg to make embryonic stem cells that match the patient's genetic makeup. Embryonic stem cell research does not use or harm an embryo or fetus in a woman's uterus.

Adult stem cells can turn into a limited number of related cell types. Embryonic stem cells have the potential to turn into any type of cell or tissue in the human body. As a result, embryonic stem cells could provide cures for many diseases and injuries that cannot be cured with adult stem cells. Stem cells made with the SCNT process have the added advantage of being made with DNA from a patient's own cell - thus eliminating the need for a genetically matching donor and the problem of immune system rejection.

Research and cures involving both SCNT and embryonic stem cells from leftover fertility clinic embryos are allowed under federal law and are being actively pursued in the US and many other countries.