March 21, 2005
Spotlight
MassCURE to Advocate for Regenerative Medicine
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In a March 16 press conference at the Massachusetts State House, a coalition of individuals and institutions, including HMS, announced the creation of MassCURE— Massachusetts Citizens United for Research Excellence—to advance regenerative medicine, including adult and embryonic stem cell research and somatic cell nuclear transfer. Human stem cell research is being intensely debated in Massachusetts political circles. Governor Mitt Romney has proposed a ban on cloning human embryos for stem cell research, while a bill authorizing this research for therapeutic purposes is being shepherded by state lawmakers in the House and Senate.
The immediate goal of MassCURE is passage of this legislation, which would clarify current state law. In addition to explicitly legalizing somatic cell nuclear transfer, or therapeutic cloning, the proposed bill would make reproductive cloning illegal.
Moderated by Paul Levy, president and CEO of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, the press conference presented the medical, personal, political, and economic case for human embryonic stem cell research. Paul Guzzi, president and CEO of the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce, said there are three primary reasons to support this research in the state. The possibility for curing now incurable diseases like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s is the “overwhelming reason,” he said. Another is economic. Boston is a leader in life sciences research, and growth in regenerative medicine would strengthen the city’s leadership, attracting more top scientists to the region. Finally, he said, the area has talented researchers, and the bill before the Massachusetts legislature “is a signal to them that we want them here.”
The president and CEO of the Civil Society Institute, Pam Solo, cited figures from a recent survey the institute commissioned, showing that 81 percent of Massachusetts adults support the stem cell bill. “The conclusion that we’re drawing is that support is broad and also very intense,” she said. It is certainly no more intense than among patients and their families who suffer from diseases that might be addressed by therapeutic cloning. Tom Shea, a board member of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, New England Chapter, described his family’s life with diabetes, the nighttime blood checks for his daughters, the restrictions on their activity, and their shortened life expectancy.
“Many experiments are on hold now because of Massachusetts legislation.” |
Levy closed the press conference, saying “This is a budding field with tremendous potential. Why would we want to limit our options?” He stressed that Massachusetts is in competition with other parts of the country. If the state does not foster an environment supporting the most creative stem cell scientists, he said, “They will go elsewhere.”
To find out more about MassCURE or to join the coalition, see the website.
Copyright 2005 by the President and Fellows of Harvard College