Dear Friends of UCSF,
I am delighted to be writing to you in the aftermath of President Obama’s executive order on March 9th repealing the federal funding restrictions on human embryonic stem cell research, imposed by President Bush in August 2001. The decision will have an immediate and transformative effect on the field.
The President’s action removes burdensome bureaucratic and accounting practices that have been required to prevent the co-mingling of federally funded research with nonfederally funded research. These restrictions forced UCSF in 2002 to move human embryonic stem cell studies off campus to rented space and then 40 miles away to Geron Corp. before returning the studies to campus two years ago to new, nonfederally funded space. Now, thanks to the executive order, scientists can co-mingle their studies and collaborate openly and freely with other scientists across labs and campuses without restrictions on what equipment can be shared.
The repeal also thaws the chill, brought on by restricted federal funding, that has pervaded the field for nearly eight years, discouraging young scientists from embarking on careers in stem cell research.
Finally, the rescission offers an unprecedented opportunity for scientists to increase their understanding of human embryonic stem cells. Instead of being restricted to studying only 21 cell lines with federal funds, they now will have access to some 200 cell lines developed by scientists around the world.
This access is critical, as embryonic stem cell lines differ in their genetic and molecular characteristics, which in turn influences their ability to become specialized specific cell types, such as brain, heart and liver cells. As a key goal of stem cell research is to create cells that could be transplanted into patients to treat damaged tissue, it is essential that we identify the best cell lines to carry out these specialized functions.
We at UCSF are very excited about a new technique that artificially induces the development of stem cell-like cells, known as “induced pluripotent stem cells” from skin cells. This is a very promising strategy for creating an alternative to cell lines derived from embryos, and UCSF is playing a leadership role in developing this new technology, but human embryonic stem cell lines remain the “goal standard.” The only way to perfect the new technique is for scientists to continue to learn more about human embryonic stem cells themselves.
Now more than ever we need to push forward and make up for lost time, completing fundraising for the construction of a major headquarters for stem cell research and continuing fundraising for the recruitment and retention of top faculty. With the pioneering efforts of UCSF and your support, we are well positioned to seize the opportunities that are before us. Stem cell researchers at UCSF are breaking ground in both the understanding of diseases like cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, Parkinson’s disease and spinal cord injury, and in the development of clinical treatments for these debilitating conditions. We thank you for your support and welcome your continued partnership on this path to discovery.
Sincerely yours,
Arnold R. Kriegstein MD, PhD
John G. Bowes Distinguished Professor in Stem Cell and Tissue Biology
Director, Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research at UCSF
