Lawmakers: Pay for Stem Cell Research

April 10, 2007
The Associated Press

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - Two state legislative committees voted Tuesday to focus limited dollars on research using stem cells culled from adults and umbilical cords, rather than human embryos.

The House and Senate panels both unanimously approved bills that set aside money for non-embryonic stem cell research _ although how much money would be put into the grant program isn't clear yet.

With their votes, the House Health Care Committee and the Senate Health Policy Committee rejected a competing proposal to also allow state money to fund embryonic stem cell research. Many people oppose such research because it requires the destruction of the embryo.

Both panels heard testimony from university stem cell researchers who said that while embryonic stem research holds promise in the future, adult stem cells and umbilical cord blood cells are widely being used to treat patients now.

"This bill funds scientific results, not promise," said Rep. Anitere Flores, R-Miami, sponsor of the House measure, noting that doctors around the world are treating about 70 diseases with adult stem cells and there are thousands of clinical trials on people under way.

"Adult stem cells work today, not in the future, not in 20 years," Flores said. "Let's move beyond the divisiveness and focus our limited public funds on research that provides results."

Both panels also heard from the family of 7-year-old Joseph Davis Jr., for whom stem cells from umbilical cord blood have been a lifesaver. Davis, from the suburbs of Dallas, and his father told lawmakers how using banked cord blood from his 5-year-old brother was used to treat Joseph's sickle cell anemia.

"Now I'm cured because my younger brother saved my life with his cord blood, and my family's happy about it," Joseph told the committees.

While the vote was unanimous in both committees, several House Democrats expressed dismay that the legislation would preclude putting state money into embryonic stem cell research, which several researchers have said is likely to be extremely promising in the future for developing new therapies.

"I'm thrilled that the state will be putting some of our resources into stem cell research," said Rep. Elaine Schwartz, D-Hollywood. "I am disappointed that no dollars are being put toward embryonic stem cell research. Perhaps one year when we have a great deal of surplus we will be able to do that."

Rep. Franklin Sands, D-Weston, has pushed for a couple years for the state to provide grants for embryonic stem cell research, but was again turned back in his effort to convince his colleagues to include that in the bill moving in the Legislature.

"This is not pie in the sky, this is research," Sands said. "Why are we eliminating the most promising type of research?"

Even if the bill ultimately passes this year, legislators will still have to fight for dollars in a tight budget year.

Mr. Davis Goes
to the Legislature
Young Joseph Davis, Jr., age 7, testifies before the Florida Senate health policy committee on the importance of cord blood stem cell education. Joseph was cured of a life-threatening case of sickle cell anemia with the stem cells from the umbilical cord of his younger brother, Isaac. In the hearing, Joseph called Isaac, “my hero and best friend.” Joseph and his family benefited from the Designated Transplant Program, a free service offered by Cord Blood Registry that provides processing and storage of cord blood stem cells for use with a family member who has a condition that would benefit from treatment with genetically-related stem cells.