Canadian Stem Cell Research: Bill C-13 Plays Catch-Up to an Ad Hoc Committee

Frustrated with the legislative delays surrounding Canada's Assisted Human Reproduction Act, Bill C-13, Dr. Alan Bernstein, president of the Canadian Institute of Health Research (CIHR), has given the go-ahead to the formation of the Stem Cell Oversight Committee (SCOC). The SCOC will operate in accordance with Guidelines announced March 2002 (the Human Pluripotent Stem Cell Research: Guidelines for CIHR-Funded Research) and will review research funding applications dealing with human pluripotent stem cells and other ethically sensitive human stem cell research. This is good news for Canada's Stem Cell Network, a group of 65 leading scientists, clinicians, engineers, and ethicists, who now plan to seek money from the CIHR for two medical research projects involving human embryonic stem cells. The federal government insists that Bill C-13, which passed third reading April 10, 2003, is a key piece of legislation which will be dealt with further when Parliament reconvenes later this month. Bill C-13 incorporates the CIHR Guidelines to allow human stem cell research for therapeutic cloning, but bans stem cell research for reproductive cloning.   Criminal sanctions for breach of the statute are provided of up to 10 years in prison. For the Stem Cell Oversight Committee (SCOC), see: http://www.cihr-irsc.gc.ca/e/about/15298.shtml. For the Guidelines, visit: http://www.cihr-irsc.gc.ca/e/publications/1488.shtml. For information about the Stem Cell Network, visit this web site: http://www.stemcellnetwork.ca. For the text of Bill C-13, see: http://makeashorterlink.com/?M2E411CD5. For more information about any aspect of this news item, contact Kathryn Schubert (kschubert@dww.com).