SOME QUOTES AND COMMENTS FROM ARTICLES MARCH 2 ND 2002

Canadian Institutes for Health Research (federal agency that funds academic scientists - issuing guidelines

"Can research on human embryos and aborted fetal tissue"

"Surplus embryos"

"Informed consent by their owners"

"Publicly backed stem cell research"

"Fetal tissue provide does not influence a woman's decision on whether to continue a pregnancy"

"No cloning for reproduction or therapeutic means"

We are awaiting legislation CIHR will create a National Stem Cell Oversight Committee

Not satisfied already saying they may have to petition to create embryos - Dr Pierson CIHR "struck a balance"

"We cannot simply ban it, when the potential for greater good is so high." Dr Pierson CIHR

Private sector not bound by guidelines

Biotech Canada 135 companies "understand the ethical concerns society faces" - Janet Lambert

Canada's leadership has been with adult stem cell research - need to make this differentiation

Adult stem cells have already surpassed the potential for embryonic stem cells.

" Embryos leftover from in-vitro fertilization" - fewer than 40 in Canada"

Dr Pierson Director of the Reproductive Biology Research Institute, University of Saskatchewan

"If a couple has all the children they want, they can decide whether they want to discard it, donate

the embryo to another couple, or make it available for research" Arthur Leader chief of Reproductive medicine University of Ottawa and the Ottawa Hospital.

In a recent study on 782 frozen embryos over 11 years which have been stored at Ottawa's IVF clinic - 8% discarded their embryos, 5% allowed them to go for research.

Re : Stem lines in the Us : "It turned out that there weren't actually that many and some weren't that good." Ronald Worton, Stem Cell Network Canada (recently created) Dr Worton - Director Ottawa Health Research Institute.

25 researchers available interested in this work - only two or three labs in Canada would be interested in extracting the embryos.

GLOBE AND MAIL : Sat: March 2 nd 2002

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"Canadian scientists will get the go-ahead to use leftover human embryos from fertility clinics"

CIHR - "biggest single funder of medical research in Canada"

"stem cell research an ethical minefied because a human embryo must die"

Dr Alan Bernstein, Monday's (4 th March 2002) Press Conference + the Canadian Cancer Society , Parkinson's Society of Canada and other organizations keen to see research proceed." Muscular Dystrophy Association and Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation .

Guidelines will approve " imported embryonic stem cells"

"Allow the creation of new embryonic cells from embryos left over at fertility clinics and from aborted fetal tissue."

"Informed consent from parents"

"Institute a national oversight committee"

Dr Janet Rossant - University of Toronto

"Strict protocols for consent"

" recommendations very stringent to ensure one is obtaining source material appropriatel and using it appropriately"

"Stem cell research has the potential to revolutionize the practice of medicine and improve the quality and length of life for Canadians" Dr Ron Warton

Michael Rudnecki (molecular geneticist) Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, "One can make an ethical and moral argument that this research be allowed to proceed because without it, people will die, patients will suffer."

NATIONAL POST SAT 2 nd MARCH 2002