Aussie stem cell research fight

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Hi all,

More on Aussie stem cell research

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20020314/hl_nm/stemcell_resear\

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Australian State Backs Stem Cell Research

Thu Mar 14,10:17 AM ET

By Tait

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australia's most populous

state vowed Thursday to defy the national government and set up its own

embryonic stem cell research facility to stop local scientists from

taking their work overseas.

Australia's conservative national government is

due to meet the six state leaders--all from the federal opposition Labor

party--on April 5 to debate Australia's position on the use of stem

cells from discarded human embryos for research.

Australian companies and universities are among

world leaders in stem cell research but local media have reported since

February that Prime Minister 's government might ban the use

of spare embryos from in vitro fertilization.

But New South Wales Premier Bob Carr said such

research was important because of its potential to find cures for

diseases like diabetes, cystic fibrosis and Alzheimer's and treatment

for spinal cord injury.

" It is absolutely vital that we enable our

medical research scientists to proceed with work they're doing, " Carr

said.

" If the prime minister goes ahead with this plan

then some of our best medical research is going to leave these shores

and they're going to take their brilliant skills to the United States,

the United Kingdom and elsewhere, " he said.

Australian Minister for Aging s

presented the controversial issue to 's cabinet on February 25.

s's spokeswoman said after that cabinet

meeting that the government had not reached a decision and would wait

until after the April 5 meeting.

Carr told reporters his state would set up its

own rules governing stem cell research using discarded embryos if the

national government decided to ban it.

" What we'd do is set up our own regime in New

South Wales, our own regulations, our own ethical code, that will enable

this research to continue here and the federal government would then

have to go to extraordinary lengths to close it down, " he said.

Stem cells are a kind of master cell that can

develop into different types of tissues. Research indicates they are

even more flexible when taken from very small embryos, with the ability

to become any kind of cell in the body.

Religious and right to life groups object to the

research because the cells are usually taken from embryos or fetuses.

British and US research teams said Wednesday

that it appeared adult stem cells may not be able to change into

different types of cells.

Australia's Monash University and biotechnology

BresaGen Ltd. are among several stem-cell-line-holding institutions

named last August by President Bush (news - web sites) as being eligible

to tap US federal medical research funds.

The Bush administration identified 60 embryonic

stem cell lines worldwide as eligible for US-government funded research

when it banned US government funding for all other embryonic stem cell

research.

Other Australian states are yet to declare

publicly whether they would follow NSW's lead and defy any national ban.

A spokeswoman for n state Premier Steve

Bracks said supported such research in principle but would wait

until after the April meeting before taking an official position.