Technion dean here to seek funding for stem cell study
Friday, October 5, 2001 | byALEZA GOLDSMITH
The race is on for stem cell research, and Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, poised to reach the finish line first, hopes federal funding from the United States will at least provide a head start.
During a recent visit to San Francisco, Dr. Rafael Beyar, dean of the institute's Bruce Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, commended President Bush's decision to allow U.S. funding for the existing human embryonic stem cell lines identified by the National Institutes of Health.
He also expressed his intention to seek that funding for the Haifa-based institute, where researchers have spent the last three years establishing and studying four of those lines.
"The decision by Bush was very favorable, although the limitations he imposed will have to eventually be reconsidered," said Beyar, who also serves as director of invasive cardiology. He was in the Bay Area on behalf of American Society for Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, the fund-raising arm.
"Of the lines originally estimated at 64 by Bush, Beyar said, "some may be dysfunctional. We'll need a source for continued research. But this is at least an important start."
The political debate about stem cells was another victim of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and their aftermath. But it is expected that the debate will soon begin again.
A stem cell, which is originally created when an egg is fertilized, has a unique capacity to renew itself and to develop into specialized cells. Research on the cells could result in promising treatment for conditions ranging from diabetes to Alzheimer's to spinal cord injuries.
At Technion, stem cell research is focused on curing heart diseases and diabetes.
In August, Technion scientists led by Drs. Lior Gepstein and Joseph Itskovitz-Eldor for the first time succeeded in growing the precursors of heart cells from embryonic stem cells. Meanwhile, in the August issue of Diabetes another Technion research team, led by Dr. Karl Skorecki, demonstrated that human embryonic stem cells can produce insulin, a finding that might lead to a cure for type 1 diabetes.
But even with these breakthroughs, Beyar said Technion is at least five years away from performing clinical trials. While he called the research on stem cells "a race, made even tougher with Bush's announcement of funding," he admitted that it could be a mistake to run too fast.
"Sometimes being in too much of a hurry damages the field more than it helps," said Beyar. "We have to do a significant amount of basic research to ensure safety and efficiency."
That's where the issue of funding comes in.
The Israeli government funds stem cell research as it would any other area of medical research. It is not regarded as an ethical dilemma, as is the case in the United States, where some right-to-life advocates argue that it is immoral to use discarded human embryos for research.
"Stem cell research is very encouraged in Israel because it is directed towards finding cures for diseases, saving lives, finding medical solutions," he said. "You are not interfering with human life, because the fetus at such an early age, according to Judaism, is not viewed as a life."
But still, the funding provided by the Israeli government "is not comparable to that available in United States—it's much less," said Beyar. "That's why it is so important for Israel to seek other sources for research dollars."
Also, because of the cost of the intifada over the past year, the Israel government cut $60 million this year from its budget for higher institutions of learning. Technion, which has a $200 million operational budget, was given $10 million less than the year before.
"We're trying to oppose this," said Beyar, "because we think education is the future."
More than 13,000 students attend Technion, which has 19 divisions, 30 research centers and 700 faculty members. A leading scientific and technological center for applied research and education, it has a worldwide reputation for its pioneering work in computer science, biotechnology, water-resource management, materials engineering, aerospace and medicine.
Whereas the United States has reported a decrease in medical students over the past few years, Technion has not seen this decrease. Beyar quipped that it is "because of the Jewish mother."
But the institute also serves students and staff of other religions and nationalities. In the school of medicine, for instance, Arabs make up 20 percent of the student population.
Beyar plans to seek out funding for the Technion's stem cell research from every source possible. But he believes receiving federal funding will be of particular importance because it ensures research will be done in a university setting rather than privately.
"If it is completely dominated by private companies, the research gets directed only towards very specific roles," said Beyar. "Without the basic research done at universities this field is not going to move in all the directions we want it to move."