Stem Cell Lines and Paid-for Eggs: Stem Cell Agency Delays Action on Easing Restrictions
July 28th, 2013 3:05 amagency today balked at approving a plan to ease restrictions on
using stem cell lines derived from women who were paid for their
eggs.
taken up tomorrow by the governing board of the $3 billion agency,
but the board's standards working group delayed action.
McCormack, a spokesman for the agency, said in an email,
“It was felt that more discussion
was needed before moving to a vote so another meeting is going to be
scheduled.”
approved regulations that banned the use of CIRM funds for stem cells
lines derived using compensation. That rule would be modified under
today's plan, which would permit the CIRM governing board to approve
the use of such lines following a staff study evaluating scientific and ethical issues.
Their use would be allowed if the lines would “advance CIRM's
mission.”
The delay came after four
organizations, including the Center for Genetics and Society in
Berkeley, argued that the plan is vague and did not adequately
address safety issues.
said that the plan does not appear to have met “numerous concerns”
raised in 2009 in a document co-authored by the CIRM staff. Those
concerns include long-term risk and ethical issues.
that the agency governing board
“...will decide whether to approve a
grantee’s request to use a stem cell line created with paid-for
eggs on the basis of whether doing so 'will advance CIRM’s
mission.' This criterion is much too vague, and doesn’t include
consideration of the health or welfare of the women who undergo egg
retrieval. Protecting the well-being of women providing eggs is not
even mentioned (though perhaps it could be considered as an element
of the fifth of five 'factors to be considered by the ICOC(the agency
board),' 'whether the donation…was consistent with `best practices’
at the time of donation').”
The standards group also heard from a
UCLA researcher who argued on behalf of the change. Kathrin Plath
said she and her colleagues wanted to use a paid-for stem cell line
from the Oregon experiment that cloned human stem cells.
the four organizations.
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