Geron Corporation Hope is rekindling for embryonic stem-cell research, but don’t expect rapid results
Greg Burns
May 3, 2010
When embryonic stem cells were first hailed as a revolutionary medical breakthrough more than a decade ago, the list of potential cures ran from Alzheimer's and Parkinson's to cancer and heart disease.
Severed spines would be healed, and immune disorders sent into permanent remission.
Then came a decade of political gamesmanship and deeply felt ethical concerns, relentlessly nudging the promising science toward the sideline.
Now, as the BIO International Convention opens Monday in Chicago, hope is rekindling for embryonic stem-cell research. All the possibilities dreamed about long ago may yet come to pass — eventually.
Last week, the National Institutes of Health approved 13 embryonic cell lines for use by federally funded researchers, freeing those biological tools from a limbo of red tape. With dozens of additional cell lines on the verge of approval as well, shares of such leading stem-cell companies as Geron Corp. edged higher.
"It is definitely good news," said Erik Forsberg, executive director of the WiCell Research Institute, a stem-cell source and service in Madison, Wis. "This has been a huge issue for researchers."
If the past is any guide, it will be a huge issue for the technology's opponents as well, who doubt its efficacy as well as its morality.
Embryonic stem cells ran into trouble from the start. First isolated in the late 1990s, they hold the incredible potential to transform into completely different cells, treating disease or replacing damaged tissue.
Fertility-clinic leftovers provided a ready source of genetic material. But the destruction of human embryos in the name of science prompted an outcry.
Not long after he took office, former President George W. Bush restricted federal funding to only certain existing embryonic cell lines. Bush is slated to speak at the BIO conference Tuesday, along with former President Bill Clinton.
Those restrictions on embryonic cell lines helped to encourage research into cells derived from adults, which proved more adaptable than originally suspected. Even the Vatican supports adult-cell experiments, because they don't involve embryos. But recent results suggest adult cells die sooner and may be less useful than hoped.
Researchers applauded when President Barack Obama lifted the Bush ban last year. His executive order directed the NIH to develop guidelines for approving stem-cell lines, however, and the agency's paperwork took time.
As a result, some cell lines that had been OK'd under Bush and widely used over the previous decade faced new uncertainty about whether the NIH would approve them.
NIH Director Dr. Francis Collins alluded to those worries last week, saying his agency's latest decision provides "welcome reassurance … that valuable work will not be lost."
The action from NIH puts a spotlight on a somewhat scanty stem-cell program at the BIO conference, which attracts exhibitors across all aspects of biotechnology. A decade of scrutiny has taught researchers to use the term "embryonic" sparingly, and it appears only nine times in the voluminous conference program.
Still, the government lists hundreds of stem-cell-related clinical trials, and their promise goes beyond therapeutic purposes. They could, for instance, be used in disease modeling to advance new drugs.
"It's not as sexy as using stem cells for a miracle cure, but it could be just as important," said Kalah Auchincloss, a Washington, D.C., attorney moderating a panel on stem-cell regulation at the BIO conference Tuesday. "There are really exciting things going on behind the scenes. Things are in the pipeline."
Some embryonic stem-cell research has made it front and center. A human clinical trial could start this year for a Geron treatment that restored spinal function in paralyzed rats. That would put the technology's effectiveness to the test while also, inevitably, reviving worries about the sanctity of life and irrevocable nature of the treatment.
Even if political and ethical concerns were absent, though, no one should expect rapid results, Auchincloss said. "I think it's just the nature of science. It's not immediate."
gburns@tribune.com
2010 BIO International Convention
The Biotechnology Industry Organization is holding its annual meeting this week at McCormick Place.
What:
The conference will include panel discussions on developments in industrial and agricultural biotechnology, economic impact of biosciences on states, partnerships in drug and vaccine development, and efforts to help underserved populations.
When:
Monday through Thursday
Keynote speakers:
U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Regina Benjamin will deliver a speech Monday. Former Presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton are scheduled to speak Tuesday. The event is not open to the public. Former Vice President Al Gore will speak Wednesday.
