Gov. Jim Doyle announced another pledge for stem cell research Tuesday, giving $1 million to a stem cell start-up company founded by three UW-Madison researchers including James Thomson, the professor who pioneered stem cell research and isolated the first embryonic stem cell.
Stem Cell Products, Inc., run by Thomson and fellow UW-Madison researchers Igor Slukvin and Dong Chen, will begin research on a process that derives red blood cells and platelets from embryonic stem cells. According to Doyle, platelets are in short supply and the U.S. military frequently flies wounded soldiers to Germany in order to perform blood transfusions.
Doyle also met with Dan and Chris Rotert and their 13-year old son Zack, who suffers from diabetes. He routinely tests his blood sugar and has to be injected with insulin six times a day. According to Doyle, scientists believe embryonic stem cell research could help to alleviate his condition.
Stem cell research has emerged as one of the largest campaign issues for candidates in the run up to the Nov. 7 elections. In a televised debate Friday in Milwaukee, Doyle said he and his opponent, U.S. Rep. Mark Green, R-Green Bay, stand at opposite sides of this controversial matter. ""There is no issue on which we differ more fundamentally.""
However, it is unclear as to how important this issue is to voters. UW-Madison political science professor Charles Franklin said, ""It is not clear just how much motivation there is to vote. This fails as an election strategy because this is the first election where stem cells have played a part, and we don't have a track record to know whether it will work.""
If elected, Green has pledged $25 million for adult stem cell research as opposed to Doyle's push to use embryonic cells. Bob Delaport, spokesperson for the Republican Party, said ""Green wants to spend tax payer dollars ethically. There would be no ban on embryonic stem cell research, just a ban on federal money going to the research.""
The winner of the governor's race also has implications toward UW-Madison research, which is currently recognized as a pioneer of embryonic stem cell research in the Midwest. The only major competitor is California, which passed a referendum supporting such research. According to Franklin, Green's plan would focus university research in a different direction thus, ""diverting university research efforts from an area that most scientists ... think will be the most likely to have the highest pay off.""
