[media-credit name=’DEREK MONTGOMERY/Herald photo’ align=’alignright’ width=’336′][/media-credit]A leading Wisconsin biotechnology research institute will house the nation's first stem-cell bank, Gov. Jim Doyle announced at a press conference at University of Wisconsin Research Park Monday.

The National Institute of Health selected the WiCell Research Institute for the National Stem Cell Bank and awarded $16 million in NIH funding for the next four years to house and maintain the bank.

"[Monday's] announcement that Wisconsin will now be the home to the nation's first National Stem Cell Bank is evidence that we are not just competing in the biomedical and health technology field, but we are excelling and we are leading," Doyle said.

WiCell is a nonprofit organization created by the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation and works collaboratively with the UW to advance research on stem cells.

In 1998, James Thomson, a UW faculty member and scientific director of WiCell, led a research group that was the first in the country to isolate human embryonic stem cells. Shortly after Thomson isolated the cells, WiCell began.

Carl Gulbrandsen, president of the WiCell Board of Directors, said the research institute is pleased NIH awarded it the contract.

"It is a recognition of the leadership of WiCell and UW-Madison in the human embryonic stem cell field," Gulbrandsen said.

The goal of the bank is to provide stem cells to researchers from federally funded organizations that request the cells, and offer the cells at a significantly reduced price than previously available.

In the past, researchers could buy the cells for about $5,000, but under the provisions of the NSCB researchers can now purchase the same cells for around $500.

In addition to reduced price, the bank will ensure properly maintained stem-cell lines and classes for researches on the appropriate handling of the cells.

In 2001, President George W. Bush put a ban on the federal funding of new embryonic stem-cell lines, but allowed the 22 existing stem-cell lines in the country to be maintained under federal money. The university started five of the 22 lines and will now house six other lines from Embryonic Stem Cell International at WiCell. The holders of the remaining 11 stem-cell lines are not obligated to add their lines to the bank, but have been encouraged to do so.

Doyle said the biotechnology industry generates $5 billion in the state economy each year and has created more than 20,000 jobs.

"We have before us the potential for something enormous, which is to have research that is focuses on curing illnesses that were long thought to be incurable and to build a significant part of our economy around that endeavor," Doyle said.

Controversy has arisen in Congress and the state Legislature recently regarding restrictions on the research and funding of projects related to human cloning and other biotechnologies.

"Sadly, in both our state houses and in the halls of Congress, politics are trumping science and personal agendas are trumping the public good," U.S. Rep. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., said. "And we are paying the price."

The Wisconsin state Senate passed a bill last week banning all forms of human cloning; though Doyle said he would veto the bill.

However, State Rep. Steve Kestell, R-Elkhart Lake, a co-author of the legislation the State Assembly previously passed, said his intention is not to restrict research dealing with embryonic stem cells.

"The legislation I've worked on has been specifically written to avoid impeding in any way on those stem-cell lines," Kestell said.

Derek Hei, technical director of the Waisman Clinical Biomanufacturing Facility at UW, said despite developments in the Legislature, he is optimistic about the future of the research. The success of the program will require a strong collaborative effort from many scientists in the field, he added.

"We are all very hopeful that this program will establish the scientific basis that will help stem cells to reach their full potential in the future in basic science, drug discovery and clinical science," Hei said.