The CIRM (California Institute for Regenerative Medicine) in San Francisco is a state agency that will allocate the $3 billion Proposition 71 approved for stem cell research. California is promoting stem cell research, in addition to several other states like, Missouri, Maryland, and Massachusetts. On the contrary, the federal government, which normally provides funds for medical research, has not. This paper examines what the state of California is doing in terms of stem cell funding and the federal government's response to the matter (San Diego Union Tribune).
Currently stem cell research is at a standstill due to the lack of funding from the state. CIRM funds have yet to be awarded to stem cell labs in California, but they have received a little funding. Private funding and a loan from governor Schwarzenegger are what stem cell researches are relying on now to operate, until the bond money from the state comes. Other states that back stem cell research have already gotten started, but they cannot match California's financial support for stem cells. Information on funding for research in other countries is currently not available (Brownstein).
On the state level (in California), there are two types of funding that regulate stem cell research: There is CIRM-funded research and such research that is not financed by CIRM. There are certain rules to be eligible for CIRM funding and activities that are prohibited. These rules that govern funding for stem cell research are as follows: enhanced consent, permissible expenses, priority of reproductive success, injury coverage, and transparency. In addition to the rules that govern research, numerous activities disqualify an organization from CIRM funding. Included in this list of banned activities is; specified chimeric research, human reproductive cloning, the initiation of stem cells that are human or not human into human embryos, after the emergence of a culture in vitro or 12 days, whichever occurs first, and the shift to a uterus that's from a genetically altered human embryo (San Diego Union Tribune).
Because of California's decision to proceed with stem cell research, it has come under scrutiny from researchers. They point out that the present way states go against the consent of the federal government will cause a great deal of waste. For researchers to use federal grant money they must follow certain guidelines. All the materials they use must be accounted for, to make sure that federal grant money is not being spent on lines of embryonic stem cells created after August 2001 (Duffy). In order to meet the federal guidelines researchers often will buy equipment that other labs already possess.
The federal government has taken a less progressive stance on stem cell research. It has been generally accepted by both the California and federal government that current and future stem cell study is to be derived from preexisting stem cell lines. Although there is an agreement as to how the research on stem cells should be done, California is the bigger spender. President Bush announced that the federal budget for research on preexisting stem cells is $250 million. The funds for stem cell research are intended for stem cells from animals that do not entail ethical or moral concerns, and the study of umbilical cord placenta. California has a more generous budget set aside for stem cell research at $3 billion (Duffy) The funds are not yet available to researchers and scientists but once they are California will lead the rest of the U.S. and the world in financial backing.
The Bush administration has put certain limitations on how the research of stem cells is to be conducted. This may have a positive effect on the long term success of the research of stem cells. Although current and future research is limited to preexisting stem cell lines, increased government funding could enable this to become a huge industry. This could become reality granted that there are major advances in the area of regenerative medicine and the funding goes to where it is needed. As of yet NIH is the federal agency in charge of determining what standards are necessary for eligibility of funds. The White House decreed a list of requirements to be eligible for stem cell research funding. Funds from the federal government will only be granted to research on preexisting stem cell lines that originated from donors who gave their permission. In addition to that the extra embryos being examined must be formed for reproductive means. This must be done without financial incentives to the donors (TheWhitehouse).
California's policy on funding for stem cell research seems to be in line with the federal government albeit with a more generous budget. This has attracted other states to follow California's lead in stem cell research. Usually the federal government is the leader in the area of medical research funding, but now has a considerably smaller budget than California. This event has been likened to former President John F. Kennedy's rejection of putting a man on the moon while Texas funded NASA independtly. A quote from Michael Bellomo illustrates this point by saying, "But some feel that the lack of federal approval and the legal challenges from embryonic stem cell research opponents gives even more ammunition to those appealing donors for support" (Brownstein).
The reaction to California's strong efforts to fund embryonic stem cell research has raised some opposition. The opposition is not just from the federal government but women's rights activists and culture conservatives. This unusual partnership has joined forces to fight the damage that is required to the human embryos being researched. In 2004 the opposition came up with around $400,000 to stymie Proposition 71, half of that money was derived from Howard Ahmanson Jr. (an evangelical Christian millionaire). Despite the opposition Proposition 71 was a success, such people as Microsoft cofounders Paul Allen and Bill Gates contributed to this initiative with a $25 million contribution (USAToday).
People who supported the measure called Proposition 71 did so to get past the Bush administrations limitations on funding the research of human embryonic stem cells. Some scientists sense that stem cells offer treatment to a range of diseases including Parkinson's and Diabetes. In order for this breakthrough to happen scientists need the capability to guide the blank cells into particular cell types necessary for transplant (Duffy). The results of this research are years away but offer hope to its proponents that fund it.
In California the atmosphere amongst stem cell researchers is hopeful despite federal guidelines that work to dissuade new scientists from joining the discipline. This is due in part to the slated $3 billion that is accessible to their programs over the span of 10 years. In recent months scientists have been waiting eagerly to receive funding from CIRM, the state agency that will distribute the $3 billion bond money. With interest and principal an already ailing California treasury will have to come up with $6 billion to meet its demand for stem cell funding. This would appear to be disastrous to the state economy, but supporters of stem cell research believe that it could stimulate economic growth while reviving a waning field. In addition to the potential financial growth from increased funding for research, the $3 billion bond has attracted private sector interest in stem cell research (USAToday).
While the rest of the nation and the world watched in awe as California emerged as the leader in stem cell research, the federal government and protestors challenged its ways. The main controversy has been where the stem cells are derived from as this presents moral and ethical concerns to certain religious groups. This has put pressure on the federal government to enact restrictions and guidelines for stem cell research. No longer will cloning of any kind be tolerated and only preexisting stem cell lines can be used for research. It is the hope of California and the scientific community to the lead the way in regenerative medicine, despite tighter restrictions from the federal government.