Stem-cell research essential to Bay State
FOR MORE than a century, scientists and doctors in Massachusetts have created new medical technologies that improve and save lives around the world. Our healthcare and medical research centers are the best in the world, and they have long driven our state's economy. From the first surgery demonstration under anesthesia in history (conducted at Massachusetts General Hospital in 1846) to thousands of new drug therapies, Massachusetts has pushed the frontiers of exploration. One of the most important new frontiers in medical research and the fight to save lives from incurable diseases is biotechnology -- specifically stem-cell research.
In recent years, our state has been a leader in stem-cell research, but today we are in danger of falling behind other states in the race to attract researchers and biotechnology companies to help grow our economy and develop life saving medicines. For that reason, we have made stem-cell research a priority during the new legislative session. This week, joined by colleagues, researchers, experts and ethicists, we filed legislation that will clear obstacles to stem-cell research in Massachusetts.
There are presently two major barriers to stem-cell research and the development of life-saving medicines: existing federal policy and ambiguous Massachusetts law. First, in 2001, President Bush ordered that federal money only be used to research 78 existing stem-cell lines, including defective ones. This policy has taken a toll on our state's competitiveness and, more important, on our ability to save people from life threatening diseases. Researchers in Britain and South Korea have taken advantage of President Bush's position -- to seize the lead in the race to save lives. Experts agree that President Bush's policy dramatically restricts the odds of making life-saving discoveries.
Though our state government cannot undo damaging federal rules, we can and must change our state's ambiguous law on stem-cell research. We must make very clear to the nation that Massachusetts allows and encourages stem-cell research. Our existing laws have kept medical researchers from aggressively experimenting in this critical area of medicine.
Even as Massachusetts debates this issue, other states are adopting biotech-friendly laws and initiatives. Last fall, California voters, with the strong support of their Chamber of Commerce and Governor Schwarzenegger, approved a multi-billion dollar investment in stem-cell research. Competition from California, New Jersey, and other states threatens to lure researchers and biotechnology businesses away from Massachusetts.
In clearing the way for embryonic stem-cell research, we have crafted strong ethical safeguards. Most important, our bill bans human reproductive cloning and also bans the sale of embryos for profit. We propose ethical review procedures to ensure that researchers comply with guidelines, and to guarantee that embryos and other genetic materials are used only with donors' consent.
Some opponents have attempted to create fear and confusion by raising unfounded concerns and suggesting that our bill opens the door to human cloning. It does not. The bill does allow researchers to create small groups of cells (too tiny to be seen by the human eye) that can serve as a source of replacement tissue for damaged organs or as a cure for life-threatening illnesses. This remarkable process, somatic cell nuclear transfer (or ''therapeutic cloning"), allows researchers to develop small groups of cells identical to a patient's specific illness, so that a patient can avoid immune-suppressive drugs which cause pain and suffering during organ transplants, or terminal illness treatment. Opponents carelessly attack this type of research as ''cloning new embryos," but somatic cell nuclear transfer does not involve the creation of fertilized eggs, nor does it involve the cloning of human beings.
Today, children with juvenile diabetes or crippling spinal cord injuries hope that stem-cell research may someday offer them a cure. We cannot let their hope be taken hostage by ignorance, misinformation, or political posturing. Further, biotechnology and stem-cell research are essential to our state's future -- not just to advance science and promote the state's economy, but to alleviate human suffering.
Stem-cell research is the path of the future. Embryonic stem-cell research is already happening, in California and New Jersey, in England and South Korea. Our state's most respected medical, science, academic, business, and government leaders are joining forces to make sure that this research continues to happen here in Massachusetts. Together, we can ensure that Massachusetts remains the world's hub of medical innovation.
Robert Travaglini is president of the Massachusetts Senate. Cynthia Stone Creem is the state senator from Newton. 