Hurray to Connecticut for awarding $20 million in grants to fund 21 research projects at universities in the state. The grants went exclusively to embryonic stem cell research projects!!!
This kind of commitment to embryonic stem cell research is really commendable, and sharply contrasts with what may be happening in New York, and what has already happened in New Jersey. Embryonic Stem Cell Research advocates should be leery about politicians and/or researchers who work to fund embryonic stem cell research in name only.
New Jersey, Christopher Reeve's home state, already dropped the ball on funding of embryonic stem cell research. As of Dec 16, 2005, only one (1) human embryonic stem cell research project has been funded from their $5 million stem cell bill. Sixteen other projects funded by the NJ stem cell research bill, were actually adult stem cell research projects and mouse ESCR.
Concerned that New York's proposed $1 billion Stem cell bill might also get sidetracked, Susan Soloman, CEO and co-founder of the New York Stem Cell Foundation told The Scientist, "If [the New York stem cell bill] is an alternative mechanism to provide funding to research institutions, that's fine, but lets call it what it is,"
Meanwhile California's $3 billion stem cell initiative recently awarded $74.5 million in grants to 26 different scientific teams around the state,..... an average of $2.9 million per grant. The money, which was given to established scientific teams who were already working in the field, will be allocated over four years. There were a total of 70 proposals under review.
Earlier in February, $45 million in SEED grants were released. All of this money went exclusively to embryonic stem cell research, using the newer embryonic stem cell lines that are banned from federally funded research, per Bush's 2001 Executive Order.
Not only do embryonic stem cell research activists face direct opposition from ESCR opponents, who tout exaggerated benefits of adult stem cell research, but we also now face the real danger of blue states developing so-called embryonic stem cell bills ( now hugely popular), which end up being diverted to other pet bio-med projects in the state.
While most of what happened in New Jersey occurred under the radar, I am confident New Yorkers, such as Susan Soloman and others like her, will stand strong to make sure this does not happen in their state.
With New Jersey still in the midst of a scandal with UMDNJ, they certainly don't need another one brewing. Corrective action is definitely in order.
New Jersey seems to favor work with umbilical cord blood stem cells, and works closely with the Catholic Church. Coincidentally one of the main authors of their (embryonic) stem cell bill was an umbilical cord blood stem cell researcher by the name of Dr. Wise Young.