" Arnold Kriegstein, PhD, director of the Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research at UCSF, notes that governments of other countries – including China and some European Union nations – have recently made large commitments to support stem cell research. "

" Judy Woodruff gets perspectives from Dr. Evan Snyder of the Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute and David Prentice of the Family Research Council. "

" Many of the nation’s leading stem cell researchers do not know whether they will receive grants they won years earlier through the standard competition, or whether new projects will even be considered. Junior scientists like Dr. Spence, poised to start their own laboratories, are caught in limbo. Senior scientists like Dr. Wells are torn between pursuing research they believe in and protecting students from staking their job prospects on projects they may never be able to complete. "

" Adult stem cell researchers James Sherley and Theresa Deisher are ideologues. Catholic Theresa Deisher named her biomedical company after the Virgin Mary (AVM for Ave Maria); Baptist James Sherley (famous for throwing a hunger strike and crying racism when his tenure at MIT was denied) is a vehement denouncer of women's reproductive freedoms, calling abortion a "social disease". "

" On Thursday the appellate court reversed that ban, and the Department of Justice is analyzing what that means. A spokesperson would not address whether the stay would allow the NIH to resume reviewing grants for studies in the field, or accept submissions for new proposals — all activities that had been put on hold. Lamberth's injunction allowed only researchers with already approved federal grants to continue their work, at least until the grants ran out (most operate on a yearly basis); everything else was frozen. The appellate court decision may reverse that, at least while the appeals process works its way through the courts. "

Jim Doyle: " Wisconsin is home to over 600 biotechnology companies and 11 stem cell companies. In total, there are more than 34,000 people working in bioscience research and industry in Wisconsin. These fields contribute almost $9 billion to Wisconsin's economy. But all of that is at risk today. Make no mistake; losing the millions of dollars in federal grants that our top researchers have earned will be detrimental to this state. "

" The Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO), a professional organization of member scientists, opposes the Federal District Court injunction that froze federal funding for human embryonic stem cell (hESC) research. ARVO is troubled by this barrier to research that has the potential to restore sight and mitigate eye damage. "

The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology expressed its disapproval and disappointment this week in response to the Aug. 23 ruling in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia that granted a preliminary injunction barring federal funding of embryonic stem-cell research.

" Vital progress in stem cell research by hundreds of U.S. laboratories is threatened after last week's injunction prohibiting federal funding for the study of human embryonic stem cells (hESCs). The president of the International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR), Elaine Fuchs, Rockefeller University, U.S., stated that the setbacks for advancing biomedical research on stem cells and translating this knowledge into new and improved treatments for patients are already considerable, and escalate with each day the injunction continues. "

" The judicial injunction blocking federally funded human embryonic stem cell research not only blocks potential life-saving research but also threatens to undermine the system of peer-reviewed science that has helped make America the unquestioned world leader in scientific discovery.

" Embryonic stem cell research holds enormous potential for developing treatments and cures for numerous chronic and fatal diseases. With scientists across the nation positioned to make dramatic advances funded substantially by the National Institutes of Health, this judicial action is particularly disappointing. We hope this injunction will be lifted soon and that the lawsuit will be unsuccessful. As these court actions have made clear, it is imperative that policymakers clarify that federal law unambiguously permits the funding of this critical research.

" We are also deeply concerned that the researchers who are plaintiffs in this case have been granted standing to sue the government based primarily on the assertion that they would be "irreparably harmed" by continued funding of embryonic stem cell research. This is judicial intervention in the peer review process, pure and simple. The notion that competition for research funding should be adjudicated in the courts rather than by expert peer review endangers the merit-based system of funding that makes American science the envy of the world. We strongly encourage the federal government to argue forcefully in court against permitting the peer review system to be undermined in this manner. "

" Source: Association of American Medical College "

" We can’t afford the loss of intellectual power that this injunction will bring. In 2010 it would be a tragedy to set hESC research back to 1998 in the United States while scientists in other countries (and perhaps many now working and living here who will soon alight to Asia) forge ahead. "

" Newspapers across the country published editorials reacting to U.S. District Court Judge Royce Lamberth's recent ruling challenging the legality of the Obama administration's guidelines allowing federal funding for embryonic stem cell research. Summaries of the editorials appear below. "

" I learned from Donn Rubin, Chairman of Missouri Cures a pro-embryonic research advocacy group that the usual suspects were behind the court action. The lead plaintiffs are two pro-life activist researchers who run an adult stem cell research companies with a pro-life bent; Dr. James Sherley of Boston Biomedical Research Institute and Theresa Deisher of Ave Maria Biotech. They are backed up by the Alliance Defense Fund, based in Arizona, Against Missouri Cures whom litigated against in 2005 and 2006. "

" Biologists working on human ESCs are aghast. "Everyone believed that this was a settled issue," says Evan Snyder of the Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute in La Jolla, California, who fears that research will now "grind to a halt". "

"As stated in our 2005 policy statement on stem cell research, we believe that reasonable, ethical stem cell exploration is a crucial component of scientific discovery," said Margaret Foti, Ph.D., M.D. (h.c.), chief executive officer of the AACR. "Human embryonic stem cell research may lead to new biological insights that offer avenues for the development of promising new therapies for cancer patients. This decision will slow the important research that has the potential to save lives from cancer and will significantly affect the ability of the United States to be a leader in this cutting-edge field of science."

The Justice Department said Tuesday it will appeal an injunction that temporarily halts federal funding for embryonic stem cell research, a ruling that dealt an unexpected blow to one of President Barack Obama’s first initiatives and sent shock waves throughout the scientific community.

" The National Institutes of Health said it has abandoned its planned review of 50 new grant applications, and will not proceed with a second-level review of about a dozen applications valued at $15 million to $20 million. Also frozen is a planned review in September of another 22 grant applications totaling $54 million. "

" The announcement - which confirmed fears among proponents that the ruling would result in a comprehensive freeze in federal support for stem cell research - came in response to a court order Monday barring the government from funding the research because it involves the destruction of embryos. "

" The AACR (American Association for Cancer Research) has expressed concern that a recent Federal District Court injunction to stop federal funding for human embryonic stem cell research is a serious obstacle for scientific discovery. The AACR reiterates its support for responsible conduct of human embryonic stem cell research, which up to this week was funded by the NIH (National Institutes of Health. "

" The Endocrine Society says it is re-issuing its 2009 Position Statement which calls for an increase in NIH funding for stem cell research. It also calls for an expansion in the scope of funding to include promising yet neglected areas of stem cell research. "

" "This is a major setback for medical research, in particular, research towards a cure for diabetes," said Richard Bergenstal, MD, President, Medicine & Science, American Diabetes Association. "This decision stands as a roadblock to research that has shown great promise in finding a cure for diabetes and treating its complications." "

In fact, Lamberth's definition of "research"—incorporating all prior steps on which present studies depend—would jeopardize lots of other work. Current research on hypothermia, asthma, schizophrenia, hepatitis, radiation exposure, gene therapy, and sexually transmitted diseases relies, to varying degrees, on prior experiments that were deemed illegal or unethical. Are scientists who work in these fields responsible for the sins of their predecessors? Should we declare their work "research in which" Jews, blacks, children, and others are victimized? Do we seriously think that Congress, in using the word "research," intended such retroactive complicity?

"The future of this essential medical science very much hangs in the balance. Wisconsin is a global leader in stem cell research that can cure diseases and save lives. Yet if extremists like Scott Walker get their way, the rollback on stem cell research will continue, and the hope of a cure for those suffering from diabetes, Parkinson's and other diseases will be snuffed out for purely ideological reasons. As governor I will fight for essential stem cell research, and I will make sure scientists and researchers — not politicians — drive our research and technology agenda. I challenge Scott Walker and his radical allies to stop standing in its way of this important work."
- Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett, Democrat

"As governor, Scott will work to make Wisconsin a national leader in finding cures for diseases that have robbed many of us of the people we love. As science has shown, we can realize the potential of stem cell research without destroying human embryos or resorting to human cloning. We can both protect the earliest stages of life and find cures. That's a win-win scenario that Scott hopes his opponents would embrace."
- Jill Bader, spokeswoman for Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker, Republican

no comment from former U.S. Rep. Mark Neumann, Republican

" Madison, considered the birthplace of the field, is feeling the impact of the ruling — at Stemina and other companies, and at UW-Madison, where about 75 scientists studying the cells rely on nearly $5 million a year in federal grants. "

" A federal judge's stunning preliminary injunction against using federal funds for human embryonic stem-cell research has thrown labs throughout the country — including cutting-edge University of Connecticut —- into scramble mode. "

" Doctors and researchers involved in embryonic-stem-cell experiments in Maryland and nationwide fear that potentially life-saving discoveries are being jeopardized by a judge who has blocked federal funding for such research. "

" In Wisconsin, the temporary injunction triggered praise from opponents of the research and anxiety from scientists who have dozens of projects and millions in federal money at stake. The ruling put at risk hundreds of millions of dollars in royalties the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation could potentially reap from its three key embryonic stem cell patents. And in the space of 24 hours, the court action thrust the issue of embryonic stem cell research into an already heated campaign for governor. "

" The National Institutes of Health said yesterday it will not award new grants or renew existing ones for research on human embryonic stem cells after a federal judge temporarily halted the Obama administration’s expansion of federal funding for this research. "

" A district court's decision banning federally funded embryonic stem cell research could put the brakes on some projects at the University of Georgia, researchers at the university fear. "

" A federal judge’s decision to block the Obama administration's stem cell research expansion efforts was met with surprise and disappointment by Harvard scientists, who say that the ruling brings back the harsh restrictions enacted by the Bush administration on human embryonic stem cell research. "

" "If the ruling cannot be lifted soon, this will do irreparable harm to the field," says Sam Morrison, director of the Center for Stem Cell Biology at the University of Michigan. "

" Chief US District Judge Royce Lamberth ruled that there is a strong likelihood that the new guidelines, published in July 2009, violate an existing federal law restricting the use of federal funds for embryonic stem-cell research that involves the destruction of human embryos. "

" But many Boston scientists are still unsure how that affects their laboratories. Some know that their funds — and thus, their work — will be frozen. Others can continue their work as usual thanks to generous private funds. "

" Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) President and CEO Jim Greenwood issued the following statement today regarding the injunction issued yesterday by a U.S. District Court prohibiting the use of federal funds to support embryonic stem cell research:

" "The preliminary injunction issued yesterday by the U.S. District Court blocking federal funding of embryonic stem cell (ESC) research casts a dark cloud of uncertainty, for the moment, on promising ESC research. For more than a decade, ESC research consistently has demonstrated that it holds great hope for the development of breakthrough treatments and cures for debilitating diseases such as Alzheimer's, spinal cord injuries, diabetes and more.

" "Each day we wait for the judicial process to play out is a day lost for patients and their families living with such diseases.

" "We already have seen the promising possibility of stem cell research with companies like Geron showing astonishing results in the area of spinal cord injuries. As we have previously said, researchers should pursue all areas of stem cell research in the search for new therapies and cures.

" "We hope the judicial process moves quickly to clear this uncertainty to permit federally funded ESC research to move forward again. Millions of patients are waiting." "

" The two researchers whose claims of injury led to a judge’s decision Monday to issue a preliminary injunction banning federal funding for the research using human embryonic stem cells, have a history of disputes with colleagues as well as ethical objections to embryonic stem cell research. "

" The National Institutes of Health announced Tuesday that it has suspended funding new human embryonic stem cell research and that all federally funded experiments already underway will be cut off when they come up for renewal if a new court order is not overturned. "

" The government will quickly appeal a court ruling that undercut federally funded embryonic stem cell research, the Obama administration declared Tuesday, but dozens of experiments aimed at fighting spinal cord injuries, Parkinson's disease and other ailments probably will stop in the meantime. "