Monash Memo - 5 September 2001

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US coup for stem-cell researchers

In a major international stem-cell coup, researchers from Monash’s institute of Reproduction and Development have made the White House’s elite register of institutions given access to apply for $480 million in US Federal research funds.

Monash University and Australian biotech company BresaGen are among ten laboratories worldwide whose stem cell line has been given the nod under the program outlined by US President George W Bush.

The US research funding body, the National Institutes of Health, this week released the names of the 10 institutions that hold the 64 human embryonic stem cell lines that met the strict criteria for eligibility for stem cell funding recently set down by President Bush.

Monash researchers were eagerly awaiting the list because many were surprised when President Bush announced that more than 60 stem cell lines existed. It was widely believed there were no more than 30 viable cell lines.

The Monash Institute of Reproduction and Development’s commercial arm ESI Cell International is funding experiments to be conducted on its existing cell lines that were derived from embryos donated from an infertility program in Singapore.

Associate Professor Martin Pera from the Institute of Reproduction and Development said the announcement was the first step towards allowing academics and publicly funded research outfits access to stem-cell lines.

“This will open up stem cell research to a whole new group of researchers who can now contribute their expertise to help us realize the full potential of stem cells in treating disease and degenerative conditions,” he said.

“It will accelerate the pace of our research because with more people will come more progress.”

Embryonic stem cells have the potential to be grown into any kind of cell in the body, including nerve, heart, skin or bone tissue.

Professor Pera said that more than 50 applications had already been received from overseas researchers wishing to access the Monash cell lines and he expected the number of applications to increase significantly.

The announcement was significant because it provided support for stem cell research, enabled Monash researchers to apply for NIH funding and also allowed Monash to collaborate with groups in the US who are using NIH funding, he said.