Prosegue nella Unione Europea il dibattito sui finanziamenti alla
ricerca sulle cellule staminali di derivazione embrionale.
Lo scorso 11 novembre si è tenuta a Brussels una tavola rotonda, i
contenuti della quale sono riassunti in questo articolo di Cordis.

prof. Enzo Reale

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No conclusion in sight for inter-institutional debate on embryonic
stem cell research

The inter-institutional debate on whether the EU should fund
embryonic stem cell research, and if so under which conditions, looks
unlikely to be resolved swiftly, according to key figures close to
the discussions.

A roundtable debate on the question took place in Brussels on 11
November, bringing together EU policy makers at the centre of the
discussions, as well as leading stem cell researchers who presented
the latest scientific perspectives.

On the basis of preliminary discussions at permanent representative
level in the Council, a spokesperson for the Italian Presidency
said: 'Frankly, it is not easy to foresee a compromise - the question
is very black and white, for and against.'

The spokesperson revealed that the majority of Member States were
opposed to the Commission's proposals for EU stem cell research
funding, but not all for the same reasons. While some representations
believe that research using human embryos should not receive EU
funding under any circumstances, others feel that the conditions laid
down by the Commission are too restrictive.

Due to the importance of the issue, however, the Italian Presidency
will make every effort to find a widely acceptable compromise as
quickly as possible, the spokesperson concluded.

One person who believes the Commission proposal has struck the right
balance is Octavi Quintana Trias, Director of the health directorate
at DG Research. According to Mr Quintana Trias, the fact that the
proposal is regarded as too liberal by some and too restrictive by
others shows that it effectively occupies the middle ground.

To those who believe the proposal should be more restrictive, Mr
Quintana Trias pointed out that it contains the strictest ethical
guidelines of any legislation currently in force. At the same time,
he warned that some of the amendments proposed by Parliament's
industry, external trade, research and energy (ITRE) committee are
considered too liberal by the Commission.

The event's host, German Christian Democrat MEP Peter Liese, said
that he had met too many people involved in the debate who believe
they know all the facts about stem cell research. He said that MEPs
have a duty to remain open minded and to listen to all the available
facts. In that spirit, he invited some of Europe's leading stem cell
scientists to present their latest research.

Dr Thorsten Trapp from the University of Düsseldorf explained the
findings of his recent investigations into the effectiveness of using
embryonic stem cells to treat brain damage caused by strokes. Using
stem cells from mouse embryos on brain damaged rats, Dr Trapp's team
found that the stem cells were able to migrate to the affected area
and repair much of the damage.

When using embryonic mouse stem cells on mice with the same
condition, the team expected to see even more positive results, but
found that instead of repairing the damaged brain tissue, the stem
cells quickly resulted in tumours throughout the brain. This risk of
tumourigenesis must be addressed, said Dr Trapp, as it had worrying
implications for the use of human embryonic stem cells on human
patients.

Finally, Dr Marie Louise Labat, from the French national centre for
scientific research (CNRS), argued that currently, stem cells
procured from adults are the only real candidates for transplantation
into other patients, as these are the only types of stem cells that
our bodies know how to control.