Prof Rues State Stem Cell Law

Assistant Professor of Molecular and Cellular Biology Kevin C. Eggan expressed frustration at a major stem cell conference on Tuesday about a Massachussetts law that creates roadblocks to medical research.

Eggan lamented a state policy that limits access to human eggs by forbidding researchers from compensating women for egg donation. Since its inception in 2004, the Harvard Stem Cell Institute has not obtained a single egg from an eligible donor.

Eggan left town immediately after the conference ended yesterday and could not be reached for additional comment.

B.D. Colen, Harvard’s senior communications officer for University science, said Eggan blamed an unfriendly legal climate at the state and federal levels for the Institute’s lack of experimental findings. He added that Eggan noted women can receive compensation for eggs donated to treat infertility, but not for use in medical research.

“Despite an advertising campaign to find donors, we have yet to have a woman donate an egg to our cause,” Eggan said, according to The Boston Globe.

Colen said the University has spent $100,000 on such advertisements. “The issue is not so much that donors can’t be paid, as that they can’t be compensated for lost time or work in the service of medical advance, and that’s frustrating for people trying to do this research,” he added.

Massachusetts law allows only for reimbursement of donors’ so-called receivable expenses, such as taxi fare or parking, but prohibits compensation for lost time at work.

Without egg donors, the institute cannot conduct Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer, also known as therapeutic cloning, a technique used to create stem cells aimed at treating specific diseases.

Scientists believe experiments with these genetically engineered stem cells could lead to breakthroughs for the treatment of life-threatening conditions such as Parkinson’s disease, diabetes, and spinal cord injuries.

In 2005, the Mass. legislature passed a bill over former Gov. Mitt Romney’s veto that expanded stem cell research by removing the requirement of approval by the local district attorney. But many scientists have found that the legislation actually hindered the possibilities of research by imposing regulatory controls on the acquisition of ova for therapeutic cloning.

According to Kevin Casey, the University’s senior director of federal and state relations, “it is a fact that in states where they have not passed legislation in the area of stem cell research, research can be conducted more freely than in states where they have new laws that are at times more restrictive.”

In places without legislation in place, stem cell research is privately funded and can be conducted through guidelines established by the individual scientific institutions.

Harvard officials said the Stem Cell Institute’s struggle to recruit donors may be an argument for reviewing the 2005 law.

“We now have two years of experience living under the law,” Casey said. He added that the University plans to share data about the obstacles faced by Eggan and his colleagues with legislators and members of Gov. Deval Patrick’s administration.