Future stem cell policy could threaten Virginia’s scientific community

Richmond (Map, News) - Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine said he did not include an item prohibiting embryonic stem cell research by state institutions in his budget amendments because he wants future discussions on the matter.

“I’m opposed to anything that would involve the creation of embryos for stem cell research,” Kaine told reporters Monday in a conference call.

He went on to say that a policy could possibly be built around embryos left over from in vitro fertilization.

Instead of the extra fertilized eggs from those procedures being destroyed, there could be a “prospect of those being used in some ways for research,” he said.

The Virginia Catholic Conference asked for an amendment to prohibit state institutions from getting funding if they destroy human embryos or fetuses in their research. The House of Delegates adopted the amendment, but the Senate did not.

Since no state institutions are now doing embryonic stem cell research, Kaine said, the measure could be taken up again in the next legislative session.

“In a state like other states that wants to be identified as a biotech state, that kind of policy is a good way to make sure the biotech industry goes somewhere else,” said Sean Tipton, president of the

Coalition for the Advancement of Medical Research.

Scientific gains made by Virginia colleges and university’s would suffer, scientists would leave, and federal funding, if approved by Congress, would go to other states, such as Maryland, Tipton added.

“This is the opportune time to negotiate across the border” to create a major national research center between Maryland’s biotech research and Virginia’s info-tech research, said Martin Apple, with the Council of Scientific Society Presidents. “I really feel strongly that it would be an important economic advantage for this region.”

cgoodman@dcexaminer.com