U.S. Rep. Tammy Baldwin, D-Madison, visited the WiCell Research Institute, a laboratory at Madison’s University Research Park, to promote the need for new national funding guidelines giving federal grants to new stem-cell lines.

WiCell Scientific Director Dr. James Thomson, a University of Wisconsin professor and academic staffer, and Michael Manganiello, vice president of government relations of the Christopher Reeve Paralysis Foundation, also called on the Bush administration to reevaluate its policies and called for federal funding for new stem-cell lines.

In August 2001, President Bush announced federal funding would be prohibited for new stem-cell lines. However, as Thomson pointed out, before this time, no federal funding was given out for stem-cell research and the Bush administration allowed stem-cell research public funding for the first time.

“It was a compromise,” Thomson said.

Thomson, who came to fame in 1998 when he announced that he had discovered human embryonic stem cells, added that if federal funding were to be extended to new stem-cell lines, progress in the field would undoubtedly increase.

“Clearly, [research] can go forward at a faster rate than it is … Clearly, if no politics were involved, we’d be farther ahead.”

Baldwin said she is circulating a letter with bipartisan support to be sent to President Bush, demanding more funding for the field.

“I’m angry that our government limits this research,” Baldwin said. “There is just too much at stake.”

The argument not to fund stem-cell research is that stem cells are derived from human embryos. However, Thomson said the embryos used for producing stem-cell lines would otherwise be “wasted.”

“Many don’t understand the basic science of this,” Baldwin said. Thomson seconded Baldwin’s statement, adding that he believes most Americans would agree to further research funding.

Baldwin’s visit coincided with an ongoing program at WiCell to educate doctors, researchers and medical directors from universities around the nation.
WiCell acts as a distribution center for embryonic stem cells derived from UW’s stem-cell lines produced before August 2001. From these lines, WiCell has provided 183 stem-cell lines to 163 unique researchers worldwide.

Currently, all five of UW’s stem-cell lines could be used for research on state or UW property because they were derived before the 2001 deadline. Thomson directs 30 UW academic staffers studying the lines. He said being able to see how the stem cells grow is one of the most important aspects of research.

Megha Darba, a UW pre-med student and junior majoring in biology, mentioned that new funding regulations are needed and would especially benefit UW.

“From a medical aspect, [new funding] would be good,” Darba said. “Especially because UW is such a large research school.”

Darba said students wanting to go into the medical field and go to UW would be able to experience stem-cell research and could take part in the studies before leaving UW.

WiCell is a subsidiary of the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation, an independent, nonprofit institution dedicated to support the University of Wisconsin and manage UW’s patents.