Scientists Open 17 New Stem Cell Lines

A team of scientists at Harvard University and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) have opened 17 new stem cell lines for research, more than doubling the existing cell lines currently sanctioned by the U.S. government.

Douglas A. Melton, leader of the research team and Cabot Professor of the Natural Sciences, wrote in a press release that these stem cell lines will be offered free of charge to the research community.

“Consistent with the general practice among academic scientists, these cells are a reagent that will be shared,” he wrote. “We hope that sharing these cells will quicken the pace of discovery.”

Embryonic stem cells retain the ability to differentiate into almost every possible cell type within an organism. As such, scientists believe they could be used to cure diseases by replacing terminally-damaged or injured cells.

President Bush announced in August 2001 that the government would only fund research on a limited number of cells—a decision that has many scientists worried about stifling future research in the field.

Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences William C. Kirby praised sharing Melton’s cell lines for its potential to prompt new research.

“Professor Melton’s creation of new collaborative efforts, can contribute significantly to worldwide research in this area,” he wrote in a press release.

According to Samuel M. Kunes, Harvard Professor of Molecular and Cellular Biology, the new lines will provide scientists with a more complete set of research tools.

“It takes a large number of cell lines to do some of the things that people want to do, so the cell lines are an important addition,” he said.

According to the press release, the supply of new cells was given to Harvard by Boston IVF, a fertility clinic. The cells were extracted from discarded frozen embryos.

But although researchers may obtain Melton’s stem cells for free, they must still obtain private sources of money to do their experiments—perhaps the biggest obstacle in performing stem cell research, according to Helen M. Blau, director of Baxter Laboratory in Genetic Pharmacology at Stanford University School of Medicine.

“I’m hoping that the [National Institutes of Health] will change and fund this research. Other foundations are stepping up the plate, but it’s not enough,” she said.

Blau said a reduction in funding will hinder progress towards treating diseases. Already, she said, the United States is lagging behind other countries in stem cell research.

“We are the leaders of biomedical research. Yet, what’s happening is that the U.S. is falling behind. Stem cell research could potentially provide cures for devastating diseases such as Parkinson’s, diabetes and stroke—but until we try, we won’t know,” she said.

Blau said that given the high price tag for these projects, foundations such as the Ellison Foundation and HHMI are to be commended for supporting stem cell research.

Melton’s research was funded by the University, HHMI and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

Currently, scientists in Melton’s laboratory will use the stem cell lines to study type 1 diabetes. Patients with type 1 diabetes lack insulin-producing cells, a problem found most commonly in children.

Melton wishes to direct the differentiation of human embryonic stem cells to form insulin-producing cells, according to the press release.

Despite researchers’ excitement over the availability of the new cell lines, others warn that the government ought to be cautious in drafting stem cell policy.

“I think that with every technology comes responsibility, and so there may be other ways—more efficacious ways to advance technology but maintain responsibility,” said Anthony E. Oro, a stem cell researcher and assistant professor of dermatology at Stanford School of Medicine.

—Staff writer Risheng Xu can be reached at xu4@fas.harvard.edu.