Promote and Fund Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell Research

H.R. 237 - Rep. David Law

 

Current Status
H.R. 237 was introduced by Rep. David Law on December 6, 2007 to memorialize the U.S. Congress to promote and fund induced pluripotent stem cell research, while maintaining the prohibition of funding research which destroys human embryos. The resolution was referred to the House Judiciary Committee. No date for committee action has been set.

 

History
In the wake of the major developments announced in November of 2007, stem cell technology is on the brink of a paradigm shift, steering away from embryonic research and cloning. Scientists in both Japan and Wisconsin developed a technique that can reprogram a human skin cell back to an embryonic-like state, with embryonic-like properties. This breakthrough, called induced pluripotent stem cell (iPS) or direct reprogramming method, nullifies the need to do research on human embryos, or clone by way of somatic cell nuclear transfer. Following this latest breakthrough, Professor Ian Wilmut, the creator of Dolly the sheep, announced that he has abandoned research using ' therapeutic' cloning.

The purpose of this resolution is to acknowledge the gravity of this research and to emphasize to Michigan legislators that the bill in the Michigan House (H.B. 4616) to allow killing and cloning embryos, has become irrelevant. H.R. 237 emphasizes the importance of collectively making every effort to fund this new direction in stem cell technology in order to find cures without delay.