Research: Q & A

General Information and Definitions | Potential Medical Benefits | Connections to In-Vitro Fertilization (IVF) | Legal, Ethical, and Regulatory Issues | Stem Cell Research at UM

For more information, visit the National Institutes of Health Stem Cell Information FAQ.

General Information and Definitions

1. What are stem cells?

   Stem cells are the source of replacement cells that generate all of the tissues in the human body. They also have a greater ability to reproduce and renew themselves over time than do specialized human cells. There are many different types of stem cells. These include embryonic stem cells that exist only at the earliest stages of embryonic development, but can make any cell type in the body; and various types of “adult” stem cells that exist in a number of different fetal and adult tissues, but generally can only form a limited number of cell types corresponding with their tissues of origin.

2. What are embryonic stem cells?

   Embryonic stem cells are primitive cells that can be generated in a laboratory dish. Four to five days after an egg is fertilized by sperm in a dish as part of in-vitro fertilization, the dividing mass of cells is called a blastocyst. For embryos that cannot be used for fertility treatment, and that have been donated for research with the informed consent of the parents, scientists can remove the inner cell mass from the blastocyst and grow stem cells in a culture dish in the laboratory. Under the right conditions, these stem cells will retain the ability to divide and make copies of themselves indefinitely. Scientists are beginning to understand how to make these cells develop into any of the more than 200 different types of cells in the human body.

3. What are adult stem cells?

   Adult stem cells, also known as tissue-specific stem cells, are present in adults, children, newborn infants and developing fetuses. Adult stem cells are more limited and specialized than embryonic stem cells. They have the ability to make just one or two specific kinds of tissue, such as blood and immune system cells, brain or muscle cells. Adult stem cells also have a more limited capacity to replace themselves than do embryonic stem cells.

4. Are stem cells found in umbilical cord blood?

   Yes, one type of stem cell is found in umbilical cord blood. This type, known as a hematopoietic or blood-forming stem cell, is more specialized than embryonic stem cells, but it has the ability to generate all types of blood and immune system cells. It does not have the ability to form cells in other tissues, like the brain.

5. Why is cell differentiation important in understanding stem cells?

   Cells must become specialized, or differentiated, in order to create a human body with mature cells like red and white blood cells, neurons, muscle, bone, teeth, skin and organs such as the lungs, heart, and liver. Nearly all of the cells in the body contain the complete set of genes necessary to build and maintain a human being. But as an embryo develops and cells become more specialized, they turn off the genes they no longer need. Adult stem cells already have become specialized to some extent and generally have turned off the genes required to make cells from tissue types other than their tissue of origin. Therefore they are less versatile than embryonic stem cells.

6. Do embryonic stem cells come from an aborted human fetus?

   No. There is no connection between abortion and human embryonic stem cells. Embryonic stem cells are derived from microscopic embryos created by in-vitro fertilization, within a few days of fertilization in a dish. The embryos are created for the purpose of fertility treatment, but not all embryos are suitable for this purpose and many embryos end up being discarded by fertility clinics. Embryos that would otherwise be discarded can be used for the derivation of embryonic stem cell lines with the informed consent of the donors. Embryonic stem cells can only be derived from embryos at the very earliest stages of development, prior to implantation into the uterus, and prior to the formation of any organs. Embryos at this stage of development are microscopically small and contain no nervous system, no heart and no specialized human tissues. By the time a human embryo in the uterus has developed into a fetus (at the end of the eighth week after conception), all of its embryonic stem cells have been committed to becoming specific tissues. Human fetal tissue cannot be used to generate embryonic stem cells.

7. What is cloning?

   There are many different kinds of cloning. Genes are routinely cloned by scientists and many of the newer medicines that have been created, such as the insulin that diabetics must take, were made through gene cloning. There is also the cloning of cells, often referred to as nuclear transfer, or therapeutic cloning. This involves extracting the nucleus, where the genetic material is held, from an unfertilized donor egg and replacing it with the nucleus extracted from a specialized or adult cell such as a skin cell. Given the proper signals, this single cell can be tricked into starting to divide, even though it was never fertilized. However, these nuclear transfer products develop abnormally: most develop normally enough that embryonic stem cells can be extracted from them, but only rare embryos develop normally enough to be able to form a pregnancy if transferred into a woman’s uterus. Reproductive cloning would be the use of these nuclear transfer products to create pregnancies for the generation of cloned animals. From experiments conducted on animals, we know that very few nuclear transfer products (less than 1%) are capable of forming a pregnancy, even if transplanted into a uterus. For this reason reproductive cloning would be unsafe to attempt in humans and there is near universal agreement among scientists and ethicists that reproductive cloning should be banned. By making it illegal to transfer nuclear transfer products into a uterus, reproductive cloning can be outlawed while still deriving the medical advantages of therapeutic cloning. Therapeutic cloning makes it possible to create embryonic stem cell lines that are genetically customized for individual patients so that their immune systems do not reject cells derived from the embryonic stem cells.

8. What is the difference between "reproductive cloning" and "therapeutic cloning?"

   In so-called “therapeutic cloning,” nuclear transfer is used for medical treatment or research. For example, nuclear transfer could be used to create a line of embryonic stem cells genetically identical to the donor. These embryonic stem cells could then be used to generate specialized cells that are transplanted into the patient to replace cells lost to injury or disease. When used in a medical treatment, this would ensure that the new cells would not face rejection by the patient's immune system. Nuclear transfer also gives us the ability to create stem cell lines that carry genetic defects that cause inherited human diseases, allowing us to study the origin of these diseases and potentially to develop new treatments. “Reproductive cloning” is when nuclear transfer is performed to generate blastocysts that are implanted into a uterus for the purpose of generating a pregnancy. This has been done in a number of animal species. It is theoretically possible that this procedure could be used to generate a human that is genetically identical to another person. However, all of the experiments conducted in animals have shown that this process is highly inefficient and unsafe. The vast majority of attempts at reproductive cloning in animals are unsuccessful, and even the rare pregnancies that do develop are usually not viable or carry abnormalities. The overwhelming consensus of the U.S. scientific and medical communities is that human reproductive cloning should be banned.

9. Why is it important to talk about research with human embryonic stem cells?

   Research with human embryonic stem cells raises important, complex and sensitive questions that should be considered carefully and discussed widely. It is a particularly important issue for the University of Michigan, because several U-M scientists are studying human embryonic stem cells. Everyone has an obligation to learn the facts about this important social and scientific issue, so they can make informed decisions. The University can contribute to this public debate by sharing factual information about the science of stem cell research.

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   Potential Medical Benefits

10. What are the potential medical benefits of stem cell research?

    All types of stem cell research hold great promise for relieving human disease and suffering. Tissue-specific or “adult” stem cells already have been used to develop effective treatments for diseases. For example, cancer patients who have lost their blood-forming and immune systems as a result of chemotherapy may receive a bone marrow transplant. The transplanted bone marrow includes blood-forming stem cells that can regenerate the patient's blood and immune systems. Blood-forming stem cell transplants are now used to treat eight different diseases. Another kind of adult stem cell found in bone marrow can become muscle, tendon, cartilage, fat and bone. Researchers are learning how to engineer these connective tissues as possible replacement parts. Research with embryonic stem cells may lead to new, more effective treatments for serious human ailments such as juvenile diabetes, Parkinson's disease, heart failure and spinal cord injuries. Scientists believe research with these cells may answer fundamental questions about how specialized cells develop in an embryo and how they communicate and work together to form all the tissues and organs in the human body. In addition, human stem cell lines will be useful for improved testing of the safety and effectiveness of new drugs.

11. If we expand the ability for scientists to do embryonic stem cell research, how long will it be before we see resulting medical treatments?

    Embryonic stem cells, with their greater potential to form lifesaving cells and their apparent ability to grow indefinitely in a lab dish, will likely lead to new treatments, new insight into the origin of human disease, and new drugs. But we can't say for certain how long it will take to find new treatments for any specific disease using embryonic stem cells. Biomedical research typically has a time frame of 10, 20, even 30 years to success. It took fourteen years of unsuccessful clinical trials in patients before the first successful bone marrow transplant was performed. Now bone marrow transplants are widely touted as the best example of a successful stem cell therapy, but few realize that it took decades of pre-clinical and clinical research to get to this point. Biomedical research takes a long time, but the sooner the research starts, the sooner it will yield new insights and new treatments. Uncertainty about the results should not stop us from pursuing this research. If research were stopped by uncertainty, we never would have developed blood transfusions, cardiac bypass surgery, insulin therapy for diabetes, kidney dialysis, antibiotics, organ transplants and so on. The very definition of research is to try new things and to explore the unknown.

12. Can we achieve the same results solely by conducting research with adult stem cells?

    There are many different types of adult or tissue-specific stem cells, but each is generally limited to producing only the cell types that are present in its tissue of origin. For example, blood-forming stem cells are able to make blood and immune system cells, but not cells of other tissues. Scientists at Michigan are studying adult stem cells, and this research is yielding important discoveries. However, embryonic stem cells have unique and important features that adult stem cells do not have. Embryonic stem cells can divide indefinitely, while adult stem cells are typically limited in their ability to divide. Embryonic stem cells can make any cell type in the body, while adult stem cells are limited in the types of cells they can produce. Whether we are trying to generate cells that will be used therapeutically, or cells that will be used to screen for new drugs, the ability to make indefinite quantities of any cell type in the body is potentially very important. The overwhelming majority of stem cell researchers believe that in order to make the most rapid progress against disease, research should proceed using both embryonic and adult stem cells.

13. Can we achieve the same results solely by conducting research with umbilical cord blood or amniotic-derived stem cells?

    Research with umbilical cord blood is also worth pursuing. But these cells don't have the ability to divide indefinitely or to produce every cell type in the body. Umbilical cord blood contains blood-forming stem cells, not embryonic stem cells. This material is potentially very useful for replacing someone's blood forming system after chemotherapy or radiation therapy. But the evidence so far is that these blood-forming stem cells won't produce cells that would work in other tissues.

14. Can we find ways to derive embryonic stem cells other than using a fertilized embryo?

    Alternative methods for creating embryonic stem cell lines are theoretical and have not yet been proven to work in human cells. Although scientists will continue to test alternative approaches, it is uncertain whether any alternative approach can lead to effective medical treatments. Moreover, there is disagreement among ethicists about whether the proposed alternatives actually represent better approaches than the use of embryos discarded after in-vitro fertilization. As a result, the overwhelming majority of scientists, physicians and patient advocates believe that embryonic stem cell research should be allowed to proceed using the tools currently available. In order to have the highest probability of success, scientists need to be able to pursue all of these promising avenues of research. No one can predict with any certainty what will be the most effective in producing potentially lifesaving medical treatments.

15. Are the existing embryonic stem cell lines approved by President Bush sufficient to advance this research?

    No. Most of these lines turned out not to be viable embryonic stem cells, and all are contaminated with animal proteins. None of these lines model human diseases. We need many more stem cell lines in order to conduct research that may lead to better medical treatments and drug discoveries. The Director of the National Institutes of Health appointed by President Bush, Dr. Elias Zerhouni, recently testified before congress:

    "It is clear today that American science will be better served and the nation would be better served if we let our scientists have access to more cell lines. I think it is important for us not to fight with one hand tied behind our back here...It is in the best interest of our scientists, our science, our country that we find ways, that the nation finds a way, to allow the science to go full speed on both adult and embryonic stem cell research." Testimony of Dr. Elias Zerhouni, Director of the National Institutes of Health, before the U.S. Senate on Monday, March 19, 2007

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Connections to In-Vitro Fertilization (IVF)

16. What is the connection between in-vitro fertilization and embryonic stem cells?

    People who have difficulty conceiving a child sometimes go to fertility clinics for a medical treatment called in-vitro fertilization. In IVF, eggs are removed from the woman's body and fertilized with sperm in a culture dish. After some of the fertilized eggs develop into blastocysts, one or more of the highest quality blastocysts are placed in the woman's uterus. If a blastocyst implants in the wall of the uterus and continues to develop, it can result in a normal pregnancy. Additional blastocysts can be frozen for later use, or discarded because they are of unsuitable quality for implantation. Blastocysts that are of unsuitable quality or no longer needed for fertility treatment can be donated by the parents for research rather than being discarded. If they are donated, scientists can remove the cells inside the blastocyst and use them to create new lines of human embryonic stem cells for research. This creation of new embryonic stem cell lines is not done at the University of Michigan because it is against state law. However, this is legal in most other states, and is done elsewhere including in Wisconsin, California, Massachusetts and New York.

17. Why does in-vitro fertilization result in so many discarded embryos?

    In order to increase the likelihood of a successful pregnancy, the IVF clinic harvests and fertilizes as many eggs as it can from the donor couple. But in the four to five days those fertilized eggs develop in the laboratory, some of them develop abnormally or are found to carry genetic defects that cause serious diseases. For example, parents who know that they carry genetic abnormalities that can lead to life-threatening illnesses in their children sometimes have these blastocysts tested, and discard those affected by the genetic abnormalities. Only those blastocysts that appear most healthy are implanted to the mother's womb in an attempt at pregnancy. Others that appear normal are frozen for subsequent attempts. Embryos that cannot be implanted because of abnormal development or serious genetic defects, as well as frozen embryos that are no longer needed for fertility treatment can be donated by parents and used by scientists to derive embryonic stem cell lines. Scientists may only use the blastocysts after they have already been slated for disposal, and only with the informed consent of the donors.

18. What happens when IVF technology advances to the point where fewer embryos are needed to create a healthy birth?

    There is broad agreement among scientists that embryos should not be created just for the purpose of research. Technological advances not only would reduce the number of embryos created for IVF, but also likely would reduce the number of embryos that are needed to create embryonic stem cell lines. We can only get to that point by doing additional research with some of the thousands of embryos that are routinely discarded today.

19. Could the embryos that are being discarded through IVF be preserved and implanted in the wombs of other mothers who wish to "adopt" the embryo?

    Yes, but there are several issues to consider. Many IVF embryos are discarded because they do not appear normal or because they are known to carry serious genetic abnormalities, and therefore are not suitable for use in fertility treatments. Doctors are unwilling to implant these embryos in any patient, but these embryos are still suitable for use in research, and may help us to understand and develop treatments for inherited diseases. Even among those IVF embryos that appear normal, the number that has been adopted is tiny relative to the number created. Most parents are unwilling to put their embryos up for adoption by others, and few people are interested in adopting other people’s embryos. There are, at most, a few hundred children that have been born as a result of embryo adoption. But thousands of embryos are discarded each year by fertility clinics. Parents who wish to put their unused embryos up for adoption should do so, but remaining parents should be able to choose whether they prefer to discard their unused embryos or to donate them for medical research that could one day help patients.

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Legal, Ethical and Regulatory Issues

20. Why do you think it is all right to use embryos created for IVF and about to be discarded?

    Using embryos that will otherwise be destroyed to create cell lines that will potentially help patients with debilitating and deadly diseases is a humane course of action. Most Americans, regardless of their religious or political affiliation, support moving forward with this work. Many Americans believe that research on some of the embryos that are being discarded now represents the best hope for relieving the suffering caused by many diseases. And some religious faiths consider it immoral not to pursue medical research that has the potential to reduce human suffering.

21. What do you say to those who believe that life begins at conception, and therefore anything that interferes with the development of an embryo from that point forward is morally wrong?

    We respect the values of people who hold this view. However, most Americans believe this research can be conducted ethically. In-vitro fertilization also was controversial when it first emerged more than 20 years ago. In the end, there remain some people who are morally opposed to it, but many more consider IVF a “pro-life” practice in that it allows people to conceive children who otherwise wouldn't have been able to. Now that we have reached a broad-based consensus as a pluralistic society to go ahead with IVF, the fact is that thousands of embryos are routinely discarded as a result of IVF procedures. Stem cell scientists—and most members of the public—believe that properly conducted embryonic stem cell research is a life-affirming way to use donated embryos, that otherwise would be discarded, to potentially help thousands of patients. Many patient advocacy groups and mainstream research organizations (such as the National Academies of Science) have affirmed the importance of this work and developed broadly agreed-upon guidelines under which the research can be pursued safely and ethically.

22. What public support exists for embryonic stem cell research?

    The majority of Americans – regardless of political party or religious affiliation – support the use of embryos discarded by the IVF process to search for new cures and believe it can be conducted ethically. A Johns Hopkins University study, for example, found only 16 percent of Americans willing to ban embryonic stem cell research. By contrast, 40 percent favored expanding federal funding to create new embryonic stem cell lines. Sixty percent felt it was more important to pursue cures than to preserve IVF embryos that would otherwise be discarded. Michigan residents also favor this research. (For more information on polling results, see lifesciences.umich.edu/research/featured/polling.html) Many Americans believe it would be unethical not to pursue an avenue of research that may provide the best hope for many patients and their families. Some studies also have shown that the more people learn about the science of embryonic stem cell research, the more supportive they become.

23. Are there areas of research that should legitimately remain off-limits to scientists?

    Yes. The scientific community has reached broad agreement on guidelines and limitations, and those guidelines have been spelled out quite clearly. We have formally adopted those guidelines at the University of Michigan as well. The guidelines developed by the National Academy of Sciences and adopted by U-M are detailed and comprehensive, but the main points are:

    • Use only IVF clinic embryos that are slated for disposal.
    • Obtain parental consent to use embryos for research.
    • Do not purchase embryos or pay donors.
    • Do not create human embryos solely for research.
    • Do not perform nuclear transfer for the purpose of reproduction.

24. Does the University support reproductive cloning?

    No. All responsible stem cell researchers and mainstream scientific organizations have recommended that human reproductive cloning be banned. In addition to the ethical issues associated with reproductive cloning, the technology does not exist to do this safely and attempts at reproductive cloning in humans would be highly unlikely to lead to the delivery of healthy babies. Michigan law currently prohibits all forms of nuclear transfer in human cells, effectively banning both reproductive and therapeutic cloning. The University would like to be able to pursue the tremendous potential of nuclear transfer for therapeutic purposes, while remaining steadfast in its opposition to nuclear transfers using human cells for reproductive purposes.

25. What do current federal laws say about embryonic stem cell research?

    A 1994 federal law prohibits the creation of embryos solely for the purpose of research. In 2001, President Bush issued an executive order stating that federal funds can only be used to support research on the 64 embryonic stem cell lines (from IVF blastocysts) thought to exist at that time. Federal research funding cannot be used to derive new embryonic stem cell lines, nor for research on embryonic stem cell lines other than those approved by the President. Other than the 1994 law, federal regulations do not dictate what embryonic stem cell research can be done using state, corporate, foundation, or other nonfederal sources of funds. Recently, legislation to expand the use of federal funding for embryonic stem cell research has received broad bipartisan support from both Republican and Democratic members of Congress, including both of Michigan 's senators, Debbie Stabenow and Carl Levin. The legislation was passed by the House of Representatives and the Senate but was vetoed by the President.

26. What is the current status of legislation in the US Senate and US House of Representatives?

    The House and Senate both have voted on bills that would ease federal restrictions on federal funding for research using stem cells derived from embryos. The Senate bill, approved in April, and the House bill, approved in January have differences that will need to be resolved before a bill goes to the President for a signature. President Bush vetoed similar bills last year, and the White House has reiterated Bush's intent to veto the measure again.

27. What types of stem cell research are allowed under State of Michigan laws?

    The laws of the state of Michigan prohibit:

    • nuclear transfer into human eggs
    • use of a live embryo for non-therapeutic research where the research will substantially jeopardize the embryo.

Michigan scientists may conduct research on federally approved and funded stem cell lines. They also may conduct research using adult or tissue-specific stem cells, and they may conduct research using embryonic stem cell lines created elsewhere, as long as federal funding is not used. Scientists cannot create new human embryonic stem cell lines in the State of Michigan. They also may not attempt “therapeutic cloning” by nuclear transfer.

28. What is happening with stem cell legislation in Michigan?

    House Bill No. 4616 introduced April 19, 2007, by State Representative Andrew Meisner, D-Ferndale, and many of his colleagues, backs allowing the use of human embryos to derive stem cells lines from donated excess embryos from fertility clinics. At the same time the bill increases the penalty for reproductive cloning. This legislation has not yet gone to the floor for discussion or vote. Senate Bill No. 52 was introduced January 24, 2007 by State Senator Gretchen Whitmer that backs allowing the use of human embryos to derive stem cell lines.

29. What is happening with stem cell research in other states?

    Currently, 12 states are considering legislation to expand embryonic stem cell research and/or to permit somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT). In 2004, the state of California passed Prop. 71 to fund $3 billion in stem cell research over the next 10 years. Other state stem cell research funding plans have been developed or are being considered in Massachusetts, Maryland, Illinois, Wisconsin, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, and elsewhere.

30. Why is federal funding important for such research?

    The overwhelming amount of research in this country is conducted with federal funding, and the federal government has played a tremendously important role in many of our most significant scientific discoveries. In contrast to research conducted with private funding, federally funded research is subject to federal oversight to ensure that the work meets the highest ethical standards and adheres to all federal rules and regulations. If federal funding is not available to support some of the most promising areas of medical research, then the majority of the nation's leading scientists won't be able to participate. The American public will lose if promising new therapies can only be developed abroad, or only by privately funded research in certain states.

31. Why is it important for this research to happen in Michigan?

    Scientists and physicians want to apply the most promising approaches to developing newer and more effective treatments for diseases that afflict the people of Michigan. Many scientists, physicians and patient groups believe that human embryonic stem cells will revolutionize the way in which human diseases are studied and treated. If Michigan scientists are prevented from fully participating in this revolution, it will impair their ability to deliver new therapies to the people of Michigan and it will detract from Michigan’s leadership position in this area. In addition, both the state and the University have invested significant resources in order to develop a thriving life sciences industry in Michigan, but these efforts will be thwarted if scientists in our state cannot pursue the most promising avenues of research. Other states (and other countries) already are working to recruit away our best researchers, partly due to the unfavorable research climate created by Michigan’s stem cell laws.

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Stem Cell Research at U-M

32. How does the University's leadership feel about embryonic stem cell research?

    University of Michigan President Mary Sue Coleman, Executive Vice President for Medical Affairs Robert Kelch and other U-M leaders believe strongly that this research is scientifically important and holds great promise for the development of lifesaving medical treatments. They have communicated their support of this research in numerous ways to University faculty and to the public.

33. What is the University of Michigan's official policy governing research with human embryonic stem cells?

    The University's current policy, developed by a U-M faculty committee and adopted in January 2005, is posted at www.research.umich.edu/policies/um/ESCells.html. The policy is consistent with guidelines developed by the National Academy of Sciences, the National Institutes of Health, and the International Society for Stem Cell Research.

34. What types of stem cell research currently are taking place at the University of Michigan?

    Michigan has conducted leading research in both embryonic and adult stem cells. Sean Morrison's group in the Center for Stem Cell Biology has discovered new markers that improve the purification of blood-forming stem cells, and that have the potential to improve the safety and effectiveness of bone marrow transplantation. Dental School researcher Paul Krebsbach is studying the factors that make human embryonic stem cells become bone cells—an approach that could improve the repair of large bone defects, such as those that occur in wounded soldiers and in certain birth defects. Here are other examples of recent discoveries by U-M stem cell scientists:

    • Malignant breast cancer cells retain stem cell properties, a discovery that could lead to new treatments for breast cancer.
    • Stem cells persist throughout adult life in the peripheral nervous system, a discovery that could lead to new treatments for nervous system injuries.
    • Defective stem cells are key to a serious, sometimes life-threatening, intestinal disorder called Hirschsprung's disease, which affects one in 5,000 newborn infants.
    • A gene called Bmi-1 controls the ability of every adult stem cell studied so far to self-renew, or make new copies of themselves, throughout life.
    • Neural stem cells respond to acute brain injuries by moving to the injured area and attempting to form new neurons.
    • A drug currently used for immunosuppression, Rapamycin, may be used to more effectively treat certain types of leukemia
    • Old tissues have less regenerative capacity because aging stem cells induce genes that actively shut down stem cell function, probably to avoid the development of cancer. Drugs to target this process could enhance regeneration.

35. What is the U-M Exploratory Center for Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research?

    The U-M Exploratory Center for Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research, located in the Medical School and headed by Professor K. Sue O'Shea, contains a core laboratory that maintains human embryonic stem cell lines for use by the U-M scientific community. Created in 2003, it is one of just six such centers in the country funded by National Institutes of Health and has received a total of $3 million in federal funding. Funding recently has been extended for a fifth year. More than 100 U-M scientists, research fellows and graduate students have used the center's services. The U-M center works with federally approved stem cell lines created elsewhere. Since human embryonic stem cells are more difficult to grow in culture than other types of cells, specialized training and experience are necessary to work with them effectively. Scientists and staff affiliated with the center help other U-M researchers learn how to work with these cells and use them in their research. Staff at the center monitors all stem cell colonies to ensure they remain free from chromosomal anomalies or infection. Fifteen U-M scientists have received pilot research grants from the center. Three of these scientists have used their initial results to receive NIH funding to continue their work with human embryonic stem cells.

36. What is the U-M Center for Stem Cell Biology?

    The U-M Center for Stem Cell Biology, housed in the Life Sciences Institute, was announced in September 2005 with initial funding of $10.5 million from the University. Directed by Associate Professor Sean Morrison, the center focuses on using stem cells to answer fundamental scientific questions, such as how stem cells become specific types of tissues. Pursuing this sort of basic biology can provide insights and breakthroughs that will create new opportunities to treat diseases. Although Morrison's research lab currently focuses on adult stem cell research, the center is not limited to any particular type of stem cell research. Its specific research will be defined by the focus and priorities of the scientists it recruits. Three new faculty members have already been recruited, and an additional four faculty will be recruited over the next four years.

37. Who is responsible for reviewing and approving U-M research with human stem cells?

    The University's Institutional Review Boards (IRB) must carefully review and approve every experiment involving human tissue. In addition U-M recently established a special committee on embryonic stem cell experiments, the Embryonic Stem Cell Research Oversight (ESCRO) committee. It is a body separate from the IRB, that is designed specifically to review all issues related to the derivation and use of embryonic stem cell lines and it is designed to create an extra layer of review by experts in issues related to embryonic stem cells.

For media inquiries, please contact:

Robin Stephenson, Director of Communications
3115 Life Sciences Institute
210 Washtenaw Ave.
Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2216
Phone: (734) 763-1200
E-mail: rbs@umich.edu

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