Researchers rejoice as stem cell Bill passes

Australian stem-cell researchers are elated at yesterday's decisive Senate vote in favour of a Bill to permit research on stem cells from surplus IVF embryos.

Shares in the Adelaide-based biomedical company BresaGen Limited (ASX: BGN) leapt 16 per cent to 58c after the decision -- BresaGen has a strong research program in embryonic stem-cell therapy for neurodegenerative disorders like Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and motor neuron disease.

Eleven weeks after the House of Representatives passed the Bill by a strong majority, and after more than 47 hours of often passionate debate, the Senate finally voted 45-26 in favour of the Research Involving Embryos Bill.

With the major parties permitting a rare conscience vote, the 73 per cent majority closely matched the level of community support for embryonic stem (ES) cell research, as revealed by public opinion surveys.

The 'yes' vote was particularly strong among female senators, who split 25-3 in favour of the Bill, while their male counterparts voted only 25-23 in favour.

The legislation allows the donors of IVF embryos to decide whether to donate them for research into organ and tissue regeneration.

Dr Chris Juttner, medical director of BresaGen, said he believed the Bill cleared the way for the company to conduct more, if not all, of its ES cell research in Australia.

Subject to each state passing complementary legislation Australian embryonic stem-cell researchers in publicly-funded agencies and private companies will now be able to take ES cells from IVF embryos for experimentation -- a procedure that necessarily involves destruction of the embryo.

Australia more favourable

While the Bill forbids researchers to create embryos for harvesting stem cells, as is permitted in the UK, Juttner told Australian Biotechnology News he believed Australia's healthcare system, and its legislative environment, were more favourable to ES cell research than in the US, which permits research only on ES cells from embryos that have already been destroyed.

Juttner said that Australia's diverse racial and ethnic mix offered greater potential for generating a broad range of ES cell lines that would maximise the chances of matching grafted cells or organs grown from ES cells to recipients' genotypes.

He said as many as 600 to 1000 different ES cell lines may eventually be required. BresaGen already had four stem cell lines approved for under US Food and Drug Administration regulations requiring require that any ES cells intended for human therapy be produced without the use of mouse-derived feeder cells, to avoid any risk of contamination by murine retroviruses.

But despite the strong Senate vote, Juttner said BresaGen was concerned at moves by one of the Bill's strongest opponents, Senator Ron Boswell (NP, Qld), to amend Customs regulations to prevent the export of ES cells and ES cell-derived products.

Australia already bans the exports of embryos. Boswell has said that the regulations can be changed without a parliamentary vote.

Juttner described Senator Boswell's position as a "significant threat" to Australia's role in an important area of medical research.

Such a ban could prevent BresaGen exporting ES cell lines from Australia to its US base at the University of Georgia, in Athens, Georgia.

"I don't know if it's going to be done, but it's fascinating and disturbing that the regulations could be changed without debate," he said. "I hope it doesn't happen -- BresaGen would rather put its energy into doing science and developing products that are critically important for thousands of patients."

Commenting on the campaign by Boswell and Senator Brian Harradine (Ind, Tas) to defeat the Bill, Juttner said, "I have respect for their position, but I don't agree with it."

Clearing the way

The decision clears the way for the Federal government to fund the new National Stem Cell Centre, a new National Centre of Excellence, to based at Monash University.

The CEO-designate of the new centre, Prof Alan Trounson, of the Monash University Centre for Reproduction and Development, described the passage of the Bill as "a great decision".

"Clearly there was a very strong majority view from both houses of Parliament, that endorsed the community view that this is a very important area to explore," Trounson said.

Asked whether he felt vindicated after personal attacks on him by some of the Bill's opponents, Trounson said, "I've been through it previously with the IVF debate.

"If you choose to work in these areas of research, you have to recognise that these things happen. I hope the community is better-informed by having more of the science aired," he said.

"I accept that some people have strong views. I don't think such decisions make anybody comfortable, but as scientists, we must keep thinking abut what our research can deliver for patients.

"Nothing in science is guaranteed, but I think we now have a fantastic opportunity to make a real contribution to some intractable diseases and conditions."

'Positive result'

Melbourne-based biomedical research company ES Cell International (ESI) was "extremely pleased" at the Senate decision, according to spokeswoman Zoe Cook.

"ESI has research partners around the world -- while the passage of the Bill has no direct effect on the research we are undertaking, if we choose to derive additional cell lines from IVF embryos in Australia we will be able to do so unhindered," she said.

"It's such a positive result for the whole stem cell community. A lot of IVF patients believe ES cell research is a very positive thing."

According to BresaGen's Juttner, around 70 per cent of IVF couples favoured donating their surplus embryos for embryonic stem cell therapy research -- a higher percentage than those favouring donation of their embryos for IVF research.

In a statement today, the Coalition for the Advancement of Medical Research Australia (CAMRA) also welcomed the Senate's decision.

"The Federal government has clearly demonstrated its commitment to medical research by passing the stem cell research bill," said CAMRA spokesperson Sheila Royles. "This legislation could help pave the way to cures for millions of Australians suffering from life-threatening illnesses and conditions."

CAMRA endorses and encourages research with both embryonic and adult stem cells into the cause, treatment and prevention of diabetes, Parkinson's disease, spinal cord injury, motor neurone disease and many other neurodegenerative and neuromuscular disorders.

"The extraordinary length of the debate reflects the importance of this legislation and we applaud all senators for ensuring the debate was rigorous and comprehensive," Royles said.

"We can't underestimate the potential of stem cell research -- it offers patients with currently incurable disease more than a glimmer of hope that one day they will be freed from the daily hardships imposed by their illness."

She said one person in every eight was likely to suffer from a neurological condition at some stage in life.