LAST WEEK President Obama issued an executive order removing a lot of restrictions on embryonic stem cell research.  He didn’t throw open the doors to just anything, though.  Federal funds can now be used to support research using hundreds of cell lines, not just the 21 lines Bush approved.  But because of the Dickey-Wicker Amendment of 1995, federal funds can’t be used to actually create a stem cell line, because that would require destroying an embryo.

    What this means immediately is that labs who have segregated their privately funded parts from their NIH-funded parts can now reintegrate (my guess is that this is a very small number of labs because working under conditions of such separation would be such a pain that not many labs would try it), and that private research labs can now apply for NIH funding.

    It could mean a lot of different things in the long term, depending on how Congress acts.  Congress passed two bills during the Bush administration relaxing the rules regarding federal funding, but Bush vetoed both of them.  Obama’s executive order will hold for now, but if research is going to continue long-term using the lines Obama just freed up, Congress is going to need to act to make it permanent.  Congress could also repeal Dickey-Wicker, which would allow new embryonic stem cell lines to be made.

    My opinion is that embryonic stem cell research is a good thing, that most Americans are for it, and that Congress will act to lift restrictions and pave the way for it to go forward.  My position stems from the fact that I don’t know exactly when a fertilized egg changes into a human life.  My church does not have a position on the use of embryonic stem cells in research, nor does it have a position on when human life begins (although it does not support elective abortions).  But would the church support embryonic stem cell research at Brigham Young University?

    For any reader who might not know this, BYU is not associated with the Mormon church in name only - it receives the majority of its funding from the church, and has Mormon leaders of the highest levels on its board of directors.  I have know idea how much oversight the board has on what kind of research gets done at BYU.  It would be fascinating to know that.  I am doubtful that the board approves every research proposal that goes out of the University, but who knows?  Would a professor who wanted to do research on embryonic stem cell lines need University approval?

    Currently there are no researchers doing embryonic stem cell research at BYU.  But last year the Microbiology and Molecular Biology department hired an assistant professor whose research depends on the use of adult stem cells.  I wonder if this professor could ever see his work utilizing embryonic stem cells, or if BYU would hire a professor who planed to do research using embryonic stem cells.  The reason I think this is important is because if embryonic stem cell research were done at BYU, it may require the Church to clarify its position on embryonic stem cell research, which may require clarification on its position on when life begins.  It’s pretty heavy stuff.  If BYU refused to allow embryonic stem cell research, would it be because the Church deems it inappropriate, or because it’s too hot a topic, and they’d rather leave it on the shelf?

    There are several reasons why embryonic stem cell research may not happen at BYU for quite a while, maybe ever.  One is that the life sciences at BYU are heavily dominated by people who study ecology and evolution.  This doesn’t mean they don’t hire people in other fields, of course, but like attracts like.  Otherwise how would there be so very many ecologists there?  Two, embryonic stem cell research is expensive and BYU professors have to teach, which limits the time they have to write grants, which limits their financial resources.  I think the guy who just brought his adult stem cell research program to BYU is pretty brave because it takes a lot of money to do what he does.  Three, BYU doesn’t have quite the ability to attract grad students and post docs that major research institutions do, which is another reason why it may be hard to attract people doing cutting-edge stem cell research.  But it’s not impossible that someone in that field could apply for a job at BYU.  It will be very interesting to see if that happens in the future.