WASHINGTON — In a high-profile dissent from Bush administration policy, the nation's top medical research official told senators Monday that he backs an end to restrictions on federal funding for embryonic stem cell research.
"From my standpoint, it is clear today that American science will be better-served, and the nation will be better-served, if we let our scientists have access to more stem cell lines," Dr. Elias A. Zerhouni, director of the National Institutes of Health, told the Senate health appropriations subcommittee, which oversees the agency's nearly $29-billion budget.
"We cannot, I would think, be second-best in this area," Zerhouni said. "I think it is important for us not to fight with one hand tied behind our back here, and NIH is key to that."
Although Zerhouni had been seen as a tacit supporter of embryonic stem cell research, his unequivocal public endorsement came as a surprise. His comments in response to questions from Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), the subcommittee chairman, energized backers of stem cell research, who have been waging an uphill struggle on the only issue to draw a veto from President Bush during his six years in office.
"I think it will certainly mobilize opinion up on [Capitol] Hill," said Jerome Zack, an embryonic stem cell researcher at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. With stem cell legislation moving again, Zack said, he was anticipating another Bush veto. But he hoped that it could be overridden.
"Convincing a handful of [lawmakers] of the opposing viewpoint could really sway things," he said.
Because they can be grown into any type of cell in the body, embryonic stem cells are seen by many scientists as holding the key to a new era of regenerative medicine. Some scientists believe that their use could eventually result in cures for Parkinson's disease, diabetes and other intractable ailments.
But producing embryonic stem cells involves the destruction of human embryos -- raising moral issues that some find profoundly disturbing.
In what was seen as a compromise attempt, Bush in 2001 limited federal funding for embryonic stem cell research to cell lines already in existence. About 20 of those lines are still in use. But they have become genetically degraded and are now ill-suited for research, said Zerhouni, who became NIH director in May 2002.
