hES Cells

Human Embryonic Stem Cells - and Politics
October 16, 2007

I. Therapeutic Cloning

(Just one) Potential application of therapeutic cloning:
October 2003: Research Shows Therapeutic Cloning Can Cure Parkinson's-like Disease In Mice Nature Biotechnology, October 2003 Volume 21: 1200 - 1207

"Neural subtype specification of fertilization and nuclear transfer embryonic stem cells and application in parkinsonian mice" Tiziano Barberi et al, Memorial Sloan Kettering, NY

Several interesting new developments about our little pluripotent friends that boggle the mind:

1) May 2, 2003: "Derivation of Oocytes from Mouse Embryonic Stem Cell".
2) Jan 8, 2004; Derivation of embryonic germ cells and male gametes from embryonic stem cells, Nature 427, 148 - 154 Niels Geijsen et al.
3) May 9, 2005; Altered nuclear transfer (ANT) Rudolf Jaenisch and Alexander Meissner
4) Oct 17, 2005 (Mice) and Oct 26, 2006 (Humans) Robert Lanza/ Advanced Cell Technology Human embryonic stem cell lines derived from single blastomeres [PDF] [Humans - PDF]

Politics

Is therapeutic cloning of humans currently legal in the US?
Is reproductive cloning of humans currently legal in the US?
Can federal research dollars (NIH) be used for either of these purposes?

Is therapeutic and/or reproductive cloning of humans currently legal in the world?

Various branches of government and their views on human cloning or hES research: 10 points to know! Note - this in no way includes all the legislation, but I have tried to include the bills that have either passed OR those that have repeatedly come up!

	1995-1999	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006/7
Executive		2	3	5a	6	5b		10c, 10d
House	1		4		7a		7c; 10a
Senate					7b		7d	10b
Private	1a		8a			8b; 8c	8d
Other						9a, 9b	9c

1995-2002

1) Preamble: The 1995 Dickey-Wicker Amendment: (Clinton Administration; Rep. Jay Dickey, R-Ark and Rep. Roger Wicker, R-Miss)

1a) James Thompson, John Gearhart, 1998, Geron.

2) August 2000: The Clinton Guidelines:

3) First Federal Legislation allowing federal funding of hES cell research - - the Bush 64- August 9, 2001: The President's Decision. See, he's ALWAYS been "the decider"!

4) 3 Aug 2001: Weldon-Stupak, Round I: Human Cloning Prohibition Act of 2001 (HR 2505) (Dave Welson, R-FL, Bart Stupak D-MI)

5) NBAC, 5a and 5b November 28, 2001: Executive order 13237: Creation of The President's Council on Bioethics

July 12, 2002: (5a) First big release: Human Cloning and Human Dignity
January 16, 2004: Trouble in paradise: Monitoring Stem Cell Research
March 3, 2004: (5b) Phone Call!

6) 28 January 2003: In his State of the Union Address, President Bush

7a) 28 February 2003: House Passes Ban on All Human Cloning: Weldon-Stupak (HR 534)

7a). 2003 Senate: prepared two rival bills, but neither had the votes to go forward:

1) Senator Diane Feinstein (D-CA) introduced the Human Cloning Prohibition Act of 2003 (S.1758), on Dec 2, 2002.
2) Senator Sam Brownback (R-KS) introduced the Human Cloning Prohibition Act of 2003 (S. 245) on Jan 29, 2003,

2004: In the meantine, some significant private action....

8a) East Coast: 2001: Harvard, HHMI and Boston IVF began a collaborative research effort =

8b) 03 March 2004 Doug Melton, Harvard Professor and HHMI Investigator, derives 17 new hES cell lines

"Derivation of Embryonic Stem-Cell Lines from Human Blastocysts" NEJM, 350:1353-1356 [PDF]

22 April 2004: Harvard Stem Cell Institute formed:

20 March 2005 Go-ahead to clone human stem cells approved by Harvard Provost Dr. Steven E. Hyman.

8c) 2 Nov 2004: West Coast: Arnold, Prop 71 (the California Stem Cell Research and Cures Initiative) passes 59% to 41% by statewide ballot,

What is it?
Who gets it?
Who monitors it?

8d) Oct 3, 2005: Midwest: Wisconsin National Stem Cell Bank to be Located in Madison:

Makin' its way through the Wisconsin Legislature: Wisconsin State Senate Assembly Bill 499, which criminalizes both reproductive and therapeutic cloning....

...And news from other countries:

9a) 11 August 2004: Britain to allow cloning of human embryos

9b) 28 September 2004: Dolly scientists' human clone bid - Ian Wilmut to clone cells for treatment of motor neuron disorder

9c) Human Cloning and World Politics! The UN General Assembly 59th Session - a few days of good ol' international fun

19 October 2004
20 October 2004
20 October 2004!
24 October 2004 U.S. Stem Cell Policy Delays U.N. Action on Human Cloning
Indecision wins! 8 March 2005: U.N. vote urges human cloning ban"

The World of cloning

2005 - 2007: The Present

7) Revisited: 7c, 7d. 2005: but neither has come forward yet: Introduced for the 109th congress:

17 March 2005: Human Cloning Prohibition Act of 2005 Brownback (R-KS) (S. 658)
27 July 27 2005:Human Cloning Ban Act of 2005 Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Ca.) (S. 1520)

May 2005: Breakin' Away from Bush:

10a) May 24 2005: US House of Representatives passes the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act H.R.810 (Rep. Michael Castle, D-DE) Immediately goes to

May 24 2005: Senate version: Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act of 2005 S 471 (Introduced in Senate)
May 24 2005: Republican leader Bill Frist, in a break with President Bush, comes out in support of expanded federal funds for stem-cell research.
May 24 2005: Bush (with Snowflake Babies) threatens to veto expanded stem cell research “I worry about a world in which cloning becomes accepted.”
May 04 2005: Signed by Governor Mitch Daniels Senate Bill 268 (Public Law 126-2005)