COMMENTARY: STEM CELLS FROM EMBRYOS BEST FOR STUDY

BYLINE: MICHELLE LUJAN GRISHAM

Stem cell research promises to be the next great leap forward for millions of Americans who currently suffer from debilitating diseases. For that reason, the administration of Gov. Bill Richardson believes that government has a moral obligation to pursue research that promises to alleviate human suffering.

Stem cell research promises to help cure or alleviate afflictions like cancer, diabetes and Alzheimer's. That is why Gov. Richardson announced a $35 million investment in stem cell research, and in the supercomputing power needed to thoroughly study them.

Stem cells have the remarkable potential to act as a sort of human repair system by developing into many different cells within the body. Some serious medical conditions, including cancer and birth defects, are caused by problems at the cellular level. Stem cells can help us understand and correct these conditions.

Scientists around the world, including at America's foremost medical research center, the nonpartisan National Institutes of Health (NIH), agree that stem cell research is the most promising avenue for future medical breakthroughs.

Embryonic stem cells have the greatest developmental potential, which is why the scientists at NIH believe we should pursue this type of research. The embryos that are the source of these stem cells are slated to be discarded at fertility treatment centers across the country. If they are thrown away, they won't do anyone any good.

The Bush Administration has refused to lead on this issue, and has impeded its progress completely. But states like New Mexico are not waiting for Washington to take action; we are showing that we can be the true innovative policy incubators in our nation. The governor's announcement has led New Mexico to join a bipartisan group of states, including California, Wisconsin and Ohio, which are aggressively moving forward with stem cell research.

The governor's plan will help make New Mexico a leader in this promising biomedical field. It will build on work already being conducted at the University of New Mexico by creating a Stem Cell Research and Regenerative Medicine Center at UNM's Health Sciences Center. It will help recruit nationally recognized scientists to come work at UNM, HSC. It will establish a training program in stem cell research for medical students, physicians, and scientists. And it will invest in the computing power needed to examine how stem cells help repair damage from diseases.

The governor's proposal will also jump start work with adult stem cells by providing a site for New Mexican parents to preserve their newborn's umbilical cord cells here, in their home state. These stem cells will then be available for cord blood transplantation, an effective therapy for some childhood cancers and blood disorders. Providing this service locally will increase access to these proven, life-saving therapies.

By making the Health Sciences Center at UNM a key part of the national dialogue on stem cells, we will help move science forward, lessen human suffering and potentially create good, high-tech and scientific jobs here in New Mexico.

Stem cell research is an issue of concern for some New Mexicans. We understand and respect the positions taken by religious groups including the Archdiocese of Santa Fe. The governor and the archdiocese see eye-to-eye on a great number of issues, including raising the minimum wage and lifting citizens out of poverty. They also share the same position in strong opposition to human cloning. And we have agreed to hear the concerns of the archdiocese before the next legislative session. Freeing science, allowing important breakthroughs, has the potential to revolutionize medicine and improve lives.

Michelle Lujan Grisham is Secretary of the New Mexico Department of Health.