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London calling UW stem cells

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by Nick Penzenstadler

Tuesday, February 13, 2007

While hosting officials from the United Kingdom at the state Capitol Monday, Gov. Jim Doyle announced University of Wisconsin-affiliated laboratories would team up with its U.K. counterparts on embryonic stem-cell research.

WiCell, a subsidiary of the Wisconsin Alumni Research Facility and home of the National Stem Cell Bank, will begin collaborative research with the U.K. Stem Cell Bank and the National Institute for Biological Standards and Control, Doyle said.

"Discoveries that have been made here have led to research that has been conducted throughout the world," Doyle said at Monday's press conference. "[The UK has] moved forward in embryonic research, and we hope the U.S. will follow the lead and embrace this incredibly important research that holds such great promise for the areas of illness long thought to be incurable."

Doyle added he hopes Wisconsin can capture 10 percent of the national stem-cell market by 2015.

Lord Naren Patel, a member of the House of Lords and chairman of the U.K. Stem Cell Oversight Committee, and Glyn Stacey, director of the U.K. Stem Cell Bank, joined Doyle at Monday's press conference.

Patel addressed the ethical concerns surrounding stem-cell research Monday, saying U.K. people generally "don't have any concerns."

"If anyone wants to create a stem cell [in the U.K.], it is under strict license," Patel said. "They must show absolute need to create the embryo to progress science, and are allowed licenses under very strict control."

Carl Gulbrandsen, managing director of WARF, applauded Monday's announcement, saying the governor has maintained a strong dedication to stem-cell research throughout his tenure.

"Jim Doyle has been our protector of embryonic stem-cell research in Wisconsin since we started it for the world," Gulbrandsen said. "Without him we wouldn't be where we are today."

However, Gulbrandsen added the trans-Atlantic trip for the research material would be difficult.

"Shipping stem-cell lines overseas is no easy task," Gulbrandsen said. "We hope that they arrive there healthy and able to be used."

Rep. Scott Suder, R-Abbostford, however, said Doyle is pushing forward with the collaborations without considering federal policy.

"I think the governor seems to want research at any cost — the president has set forward the policy — it appears as though the governor doesn't want to have such guidelines," Suder said. "We still have to follow federal law no matter how many conversations he has with Europeans."

According to Doyle, decisions regarding stem cells need to be fully understood by U.S. policy makers.

"It's so important to let science and not politics decide where science is going to go and where it's going to take us," Doyle said. "The real danger here is we have political people who don't understand the science making it a big political issue rather than allowing science to lead us."

Patel said the British Parliament considered the value of human embryos with input from theologians and scientists alike when drafting its policy, which allows anyone to create a stem cell under strict licenses.

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Anonymous (February 13, 2007 @ 10:53am):

Was stem cells an affectionate term? What did we call London? Or are we just missing a preposition in the headline?

Anonymous (February 13, 2007 @ 1:33pm):

Obviously 10:53 isn't familiar with the Battle of Britain or the Clash.

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