$500K for stem cell By Simon Benson
August 07, 2007 12:00am
SYDNEY could become the first city in the world to produce stem cells
from cloned human embryos with a $500,000 grant being offered by
Premier Morris Iemma to the first scientist to do it.
With laws lifted on the previously illegal practice, the State
Government is now looking to actively fund research to make NSW the
world centre of stem cell and cloning technology.
It is the next step along the road to a new medical industry in NSW
producing potentially life-saving stem cells.
The controversial method of extracting stem cells has been banned in
a host of countries - following moral pressure from conservative
lobby groups - but was recently legalised in NSW via a conscience
vote in Parliament.
Yesterday Mr Iemma said that with the legislation being passed
allowing therapeutic cloning, funding would be allocated from a
special $11.5 million fund to develop it.
"Put simply, this funding will enable NSW scientists to undertake
work we hope will result in the creation of the country's first stem-
cell lines derived from somatic-cell nuclear transfer embryos. In
fact, if successful it could well be a world first," he said.
Prince of Wales Hospital transplant unit head Professor Bernie Tuch
said the hospital was developing stem-cell lines to produce insulin-
producing cells to treat diabetes.
"We will be putting our hand up," Professor Tuch said. "People in NSW
can now apply for funding to move from the concept of therapeutic
cloning, to be able to attempt to move it forward. These are small
steps, slow steps but in a positive direction."
The National Health and Medical Research Council paved the way six
weeks ago for people to apply for licences for such technology.
At present the only stem cells in use or experimentation around the
world are adult stem cells or those derived from discarded IVF
embryos.
In NSW, scientists will now be able to clone embryos, using a
patient's own cells, to develop patient-specific stem-cell lines
which would avoid rejection complications when transplanted.
The contentious part of the technology, the cloning, involves taking
genetic material from a patient and fusing it into the empty nucleus
of an egg cell - effectively creating an embryo in the laboratory.
Stem cells taken from the embryo are foundation human cells, which
have the ability to grow into any cell in the body such as nerve,
heart or blood cells or cells that can produce enzymes or hormones
such as insulin.
Experts hope that will lead to cures for a host of diseases and
conditions such as diabetes, Parkinson's disease, heart disease and
spinal cord injuries.
However, cloning embryos to produce the cells has outraged moral and
religious groups. Catholic Archbishop George Pell tried to pressure
NSW MPs to vote against the original Bill.
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StemCells subscribers may also be interested in these sites:
Children's Neurobiological Solutions
http://www.CNSfoundation.org/
Cord Blood Registry
http://www.CordBlood.com/at.cgi?a=150123
The CNS Healing Group
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CNS_Healing
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