¦ February 28, 2007
Stem Cell News Update
Reprinted from newsletter dated 2/28/07

From: “Americans for Cures”
550 S. California Avenue | Suite 330 | Palo Alto, CA 94306
(650) 812-9304 | (650) 833-0105 (fax)
www.americansforcures.org

Stem Cell News Update

Proposition 71 Upheld in Court
We Won!!

For the second time in less than a year, the courts upheld the constitutionality of Proposition 71.

Since passage of Proposition 71, litigation challenging the Constitutionality of the Act and the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM), the agency created to manage the project, has prevented the sale of bonds.

On April 22, 2006, the Alameda County Court ruled in favor of Proposition 71 with a strong decision. After the opposition took the case to the Court of Appeals, they also decided in favor of Prop 71 with a unanimous, and even stronger decision on February 26, 2007, stating:
...the objective of the proposition is to find, "as speedily as possible," therapies for the treatment and cure of major diseases and injuries, an aim the legitimacy of which no one disputes. The very pendency of this litigation, however, has interfered with implementation for more than two years. After careful consideration of all of appellants' legal objections, we have no hesitation in concluding, in the exercise of "our solemn duty to jealously guard the precious initiative power...," that Proposition 71 suffers from no constitutional or other legal infirmity. Accordingly, we shall affirm the well-reasoned decision of the trial court upholding the validity of the initiative.

The CIRM and the ICOC were defended by former Attorney General Bill Lockyer and Attorney General Jerry Brown, who said, "This is a bright day for the people of California who want to see stem cell research accelerated. The Court of Appeal gave us a rock solid opinion. This is the end of the road for the obstructionists."

Those "obstructionists" who filed the lawsuits will have 40 days to file their final appeal. The California Supreme Court must then decide within 90 days if they will accept the case. Many experts believe that with two strong decisions in our favor that the Supreme Court will choose not to hear the case. Then this legal battle will finally be over and stem cell research will move forward at a faster rate. Despite the litigation, leaders at CIRM and in California found a way to fund the science.

$45 Million Headed For Stem Cell Research in California

AT LAST! On February 16, 2007, funding was approved for 72 embryonic stem cell research projects, with a total $45 million going to the first recipients of the Leon Thal Scientific Excellence through Exploration and Development (SEED) grants.

Named in honor of ICOC member Dr. Leon Thal, tragically killed in a recent aviation accident, the SEED funding is intended for scientists just starting off, as well as veteran scientists new to the field of embryonic stem cell research: combining new ideas and the excellence of experience.

Of the 72 funded projects, here are just a few.

- attempting to use human embryonic stem cells to develop cardiac pacemaker cells to combat heart disease
- investigating retinal cell lines for the fight against blindness
- deriving cancer stem cell lines to learn how best to defeat that disease
- attempting to reprogram differentiated cells to an early, more flexible state

Because there were so many high quality projects, CIRM chose to award more money for this round of grants than they had originally planned.

Fortunately, thanks to the generosity of civic leaders, as well as California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's far-sighted loan of $150 million from the state, the money was there.

Stem Cell Research at the Federal Level

In the first 100 hours of the 110th Congress, the new leadership in both houses honored their campaign promises by introducing the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act as an immediate priority.

On January 11th, Congresswoman Diana DeGette formally introduced bill HR 3 to her colleagues in the House of Representatives. This bill, formerly known as HR 810, calls for expanded federal funding for embryonic stem cell research. After a day of impassioned debate, the bill passed the House by a large majority, 253-174.

Thirty-seven Republicans joined 216 Democrats to pass the bill, which would allow federal funding of research on stem cells from embryos slated for destruction at fertility clinics. Eighteen more House members voted for the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act of 2007 than voted for the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act of 2005. Most of the new votes for the legislation came from the 32 new House Democrats who were elected in November 2006, while some came from lawmakers who changed their position since last year's vote.

The Senate is expected to take up this bill, titled S 5, in early March. We need 67 votes for a veto-override majority and we strongly believe that we have 66. That means that we are one more "yes" vote away in the Senate from a veto-override majority. This could have huge symbolic importance. Such a majority in the Senate can send a strong message that this federal legislation is moving forward. It will add pressure to the President and the Members in the House who oppose it to change their positions.

Achieving a veto-override majority in the Senate should be the top priority for us in the patient advocate community.

Join our Advocate Network

We are still building our network of patients and advocates who are willing to stand up in support of this research. We need speakers, audience members, letter writers, email writers, and people to make phone calls. Please join us in our efforts by contacting Americans for Cures.