Stem-cell road blocks risk future health care breakthroughs

UW-Madison scientists are trying to make advances in health care for us but will never be able to develop the full potential of stem-cells if the Republicans in the federal government keep up their road blocks and the state Republicans are successful in their attempts to add more. Today, the UW announced two new embryonic stem-cell lines created without animal tissues. That could mean fewer problems applying therapies to humans down the road.

It could if the government will stop forcing the UW to struggle for private funding for some research projects and keep some research at UW labs and some at the WICell Research Institute. The cells for this research came from the UW in-vitro fertilization clinic but the work was done at the private WICell Institute. Who knows what we are missing by keeping these two labs from working together better and without political restrictions?

The road blocks in place and threatened could mean we will never fully realize the benefits of some incredible research finds already out there. The Wisconsin State Journal reported earlier this week that researchers had repaired heart tissue after a heart attack in mice with embryonic stem-cells. Millions of Americans suffer from heart disease every year and this could help them fully recover after a heart attack. We may never know that or be able to apply it if the Wisconsin State Legislature keeps trying to stop the most promising areas of stem-cell research.