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Advocates Express Concern About Embryonic Stem Cell Research Guidelines As Comment Period Closes
Supporters of embryonic stem cell research have expressed concern about the impact on existing research efforts under the Obama administration"s draft guidelines outlining criteria for federal funding of stem cell research, the Washington Post reports. The public comment period for the guidelines ends Tuesday and has generated more than 20,000 comments addressing nearly every element of the proposal. The guidelines, which NIH issued in April, propose limiting federal funding for the research to stem cells derived from unused embryos created for fertility treatments and willingly donated by patients who have given written consent. Former President George W. Bush in August 2001 enacted restrictions limiting federal funding for the research to the 21 stem cell lines existing at the time. Although President Obama in March signed an executive order lifting Bush"s restrictions, some proponents of embryonic stem cell research have suggested that Obama"s plan could actually jeopardize many existing research efforts. The Obama administration is expected to issue its final version of the guidelines by July 7, the Post reports.After Bush restricted federal funding to the embryonic stem cell lines already in existence, many researchers turned to private donors and state governments for the financial support to create hundreds of new lines. Although supporters of the research initially were pleased that the Obama administration"s guidelines would allow federal funding for research on these new existing lines, some are now concerned that certain stipulations in the new guidelines could actually disqualify these research efforts from receiving federal funding. For example, NIH"s proposal requires that couples who wish to donate unused embryos for research sign a consent form indicating that they were fully informed of their alternatives. Although many fertility clinics provide information for couples about their other options, few clinics note these details in written consent forms, according to the Post. Therefore, existing stem cell lines derived from embryos donated by couples who did not sign the required consent forms could be ineligible under NIH"s draft proposal, the Post reports. In addition, many stem cell research supporters also expressed disappointment that only unused embryos created for fertility treatments would be eligible for federal funding.George Daley of the Harvard Stem Cell Institute said that the Obama administration"s guidelines "take 2009 standards and attempt to apply them retroactively, which isn"t really a standard that would allow most of the pre-existing lines to be acceptable for NIH funding." Lawrence Goldstein, director of the University of California-San Diego"s stem cell program, said, "It"s not that past practices were shoddy. But they don"t necessarily meet every letter of the new guidelines moving forward." Goldstein added that researchers would "have to throw everything out and start all over again" under the new proposed guidelines. Amy Comstock Rick, CEO of the Coalition for the Advancement of Medical Research, said that her group is "very concerned" about the funding prospects for existing research efforts, adding that if NIH officials do not modify the guidelines, "very little current research would be eligible" to receive federal funds. However, Raynard Kington, acting NIH director, said the agency is aware of the concerns and "will take them into consideration." He added that "it"s unambiguous that the intent of the president was to expand opportunities and research in this area," as long as such research is "scientifically worthy" and "ethically responsible" (Stein, Washington Post, 5/25).
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Oxygen Test Has Potential To Detect Some Critical Congenital Heart Defects In Newborns
A test that measures oxygen levels in newborns can detect "critical" congenital heart disease, but there are variables involved with the test that require more study before it is adopted for universal newborn screening, according to a new joint statement from the American Heart Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics.
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Senators Say Supreme Court Nominee Sotomayor Committed To Rule Of Law,
Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor on Tuesday met individually with 10 senators in an initial round of closed-door meetings in preparation for her confirmation hearing, which is yet to be scheduled, the New York Times reports. Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) said that during his meeting with Sotomayor she expressed her belief that ""ultimately and completely" a judge has to follow the law no matter what their upbringing has been" (Herszenhorn/Hulse, New York Times, 6/3). Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), who also met with Sotomayor, said that she believes that Sotomayor would not vote to overturn Roe v. Wade. Feinstein added that Sotomayor "is a woman who is well-steeped in law and well-steeped in precedent. I believe that she has a real respect for precedent and that she was not just saying that" (Isenstadt, Politico, 6/2). Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said of Sotomayor, "We have the whole package here," adding, "We could not have anyone more qualified" (New York Times, 6/3).However, Senate Judiciary Committee ranking member Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.), who also met with Sotomayor, said that he is concerned about whether Sotomayor would be an "activist" judge who believes her role is to create policy rather than to judge matters in accordance with it. Sessions said that "the question is, what is the law? How does a judge find the law, and what approach to statutory construction do they utilize?" (Hirschfield Davis, AP/Washington Times, 6/2). According to the Times, because Republicans likely do not have the votes to use a filibuster to block Sotomayor"s confirmation, their strategy "seems to be to play for time," in the hope that "something unexpected" will surface as a threat to her confirmation. Democrats currently have 59 of the 60 votes needed to stop a filibuster, and seven Republicans voted to confirm Sotomayor to the appeals court (New York Times, 6/3). The Judicial Confirmation Network, a conservative judicial group, on Tuesday sent a letter to every senator criticizing Sotomayor"s judicial record and saying that she "challenges the belief that the law needs to be knowable and predictable." JCN Director Gary Marx said that the organization does not agree with other conservative groups that have called for a filibuster but that it supports "a long and vigorous and thorough, healthy debate" (Palmer, Roll Call, 6/2). Leahy, Sessions To Discuss Hearing Schedule Leahy said that he and Sessions will meet Wednesday to discuss a schedule for Sotomayor"s confirmation hearing, specifically with regard to whether it will come before or after the August congressional recess. Leahy said that he favors holding the hearing in July. However, Sessions and other Republicans are asking that the hearing be conducted after the break, citing the need to read through the approximately 3,000 opinions Sotomayor wrote as an appellate court judge (Friedman, CongressDaily, 6/2). Meanwhile, Sotomayor on Wednesday will meet with 10 more senators, including seven Democrats and three Republicans (Koffler, Roll Call, 6/2). Poll Shows Public SupportFifty-four percent of U.S. residents would like to see Sotomayor confirmed as a Supreme Court justice, according to a Gallup poll released Tuesday. The poll shows that 28% of those surveyed opposed the confirmation and 19% had no opinion. The poll was conducted between Friday and Sunday, questioning 1,015 adults (Silva, Los Angeles Times, 6/2).Broadcast CoverageNPR"s "All Things Considered" on Tuesday reported on Sotomayor"s meetings with senators. The segment includes comments from Leahy (Seabrook, "All Things Considered," NPR, 6/3).
Nutrition

Tackling Dental Access Problem About More Than Numbers, Says BDA

Research published by consumer organisation Which? highlights the well-publicised problems some patients face accessing NHS dental care, according to the British Dental Association (BDA). The consumer organisation"s research indicates that, while nine out of ten people who tried to see an NHS dentist in the last two years were successful, three million people could not get an appointment. John Milne, Chair of the BDA"s General Dental Practice Committee, said: "Many patients still face problems attempting to access NHS dental care and this research highlights inequalities in access, a problem that must be tackled imaginatively. That means thinking beyond numerical measures of access to consider the kind of care patients receive. "The independent review of dentistry being led by Professor Steele presents an opportunity to consider how best to address this issue. We look forward to the report"s publication." Notes 1. Details of the inquiry into dental services, being led by Professor Jimmy Steele, are available here. 2. The BDA is The British Dental Association (BDA) is the professional association for dentists in the UK. It represents over 23,000 dentists working in general practice, in community and hospital settings, in academia and research, and in the armed forces. The British Dental Association


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