...and reject NIH funds
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NATURE MEDICINE • VOLUME 8 • NUMBER 3 • MARCH 2002 201 NEWS The use of federal funds for human embry- onic stem (ES)-cell research in the US re- mains controversial, and in another twist in the contentious field, the National Institutes of Health awarded its first stem- cell grant on 7 February to the American Red Cross, which promptly turned it down. The money—$50,000 in a supplement to an existing grant—was to go to Robert Hawley of the Jerome H. Holland Laboratories of the American Red Cross in Rockville, Maryland. The supplement was to have allowed him to translate his blood development work from mouse ES-cell …and reject NIH funds lines to human ES cells following the re- cent discovery that human ES cells can be directed to develop into blood cells (Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 98, 10716; 2001). Some large charities, such as the American Heart Association, have shied away from stem-cell research, for fear of alienating financial donors. There was spec- ulation that this was the reason for the Red Cross’s decision. In addition, the organiza- tion has been under attack recently for its handling of blood and monetary donations after the 11 September terrorist attacks. However, Jerry Squires, chief scientific officer at the Red Cross, insists the decision to refuse the money was based on new sci- entific priorities, and denied that it was an attempt to avoid controversy. ‘‘The appli- cation for the supplemental grant was sub- mitted in August 2001,’’ prior to Squires becoming chief scientific officer, he told Nature Medicine. ‘‘Since that time, the American Red Cross has reviewed and re- fined its strategic research priorities. These do not include the work described in the supplement. Therefore, the American Red Cross has decided not to accept the grant.’’ Instead, Squires wants researchers to focus on work involving stem cells from umbili- cal cord blood. Marlene Cimons, Washington, D.C. cause extra pressure and fluid in the lungs and other body tissues, leading to heart failure. Around 40% of all patients over age 65 who are hospitalized with heart failure have diastolic dysfunction as the primary manifestation of their heart failure. “We don’t know whether congestive heart fail- ure is just an exaggerated form diastolic dysfunction or if there something else going on,” says Levine. The study will examine aspects of dias- tolic dysfunction in seniors with a history of heart failure and those without. It will take four years to complete, and use some classical invasive techniques for taking New study on aging heart The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has awarded $1.7 million to University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas to define the biology of diastolic heart fail- ure—the main cause of heart failure in the elderly—and determine whether exercise can prevent or reverse the condition. Historically, exercise research has not been a major focus of NIH funding. Frank Booth, professor in the department of Physiology at the University of Missouri, Columbia, who founded the Researchers Against Inactivity-related Disorders (RID) group in 2000, has spearheaded an effort to get federal agencies to increase funding for research that examines the link between physical inactivity and disease. He looks forward to more NIH funding as the popu- lation ages. “It is clear is that the incidence of physi- cal frailty is climbing and preventive medi- cine—exercise and proper nutrition—is a proven means to alleviate and prevent many of the chronic diseases associated with the elderly,” he says. Until now, most insights into the biol- ogy of diastolic heart failure have come from animal studies, and little is known about what happens in humans. In partic- ular, it is not clear “whether changes in the heart are due to senescence that occurs with aging or just due to de-conditioning of the heart muscles,” says UT Southwestern lead investigator, Benjamin Levine. As people age and become less active, the heart muscle stiffens. Because the ven- tricles are less able to relax, the heart can- not fill as readily in preparation for each heartbeat—a condition known as diastolic dysfunction. Pressure inside the ventricles builds up as blood tries to enter, which can pressure/volume heart measurements. It will also use newer techniques like doppler echocardiography and magnetic resonance imaging to precisely determine how easily heart muscle relaxes and contracts in older individuals and whether exercise will affect heart function. In FY2000, 13% of the American popula- tion was aged over 65 and the proportion of elderly is projected to increase to 20% by 2030. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than one- third of the population over 50 is seden- tary. Laura Bonetta, Bethesda Spanish scientists broke Eight of Spain’s biomedical research organizations have sent a joint manifesto to the press complaining that their members have received none of the government money they were promised for research over six months ago. Entitled The Chaos of Biomedical Research Funding in Spain, the document says, “[we] intend to express the disquiet of the scientific community regarding the financing policy of basic biomedical research,” and claims “the work of basic biomedical research groups is being considerably distorted [by the prob- lem].” The manifesto continues, “many groups have been forced to use internal loans” so that “research activities do not come to a halt.” Ana Aranda, head of the Department of Regulation of Gene Expression at the Institute of Biomedical Research in Madrid, who is waiting on funds approved last July says that some research groups owe millions of pesetas to other groups, both for consumables and salaries. The manifesto concludes, “This situa- tion is unprecedented in the recent history of science policy in Spain.” Molecular biologist Rosario Perona, secretary of the Spanish Association of Cancer Research, says that the manifesto prompted a meeting with officials from the Spanish Ministry of Science and Technology (MST), who claimed that the delay was due merely to poor synchronization in advertising the research projects. At the 4 February meeting, re- searchers pushed the MST for a 30-day deadline for receiving the money. Jaime Lissavetzky, spokesman for the socialist party’s science commission at the Parliament, says that additional delay resulted from the change-over of currency to the Euro. Questions about the missing funds were due to be asked in the Spanish parliament last month. XAVIER BOSCH, BARCELONA © 2002 Nature Publishing Group http://medicine.nature.com
Transcript of ...and reject NIH funds
NATURE MEDICINE • VOLUME 8 • NUMBER 3 • MARCH 2002 201
NEWS
The use of federal funds for human embry-onic stem (ES)-cell research in the US re-mains controversial, and in another twistin the contentious field, the NationalInstitutes of Health awarded its first stem-cell grant on 7 February to the AmericanRed Cross, which promptly turned itdown.
The money—$50,000 in a supplementto an existing grant—was to go to RobertHawley of the Jerome H. HollandLaboratories of the American Red Cross inRockville, Maryland. The supplement wasto have allowed him to translate his blooddevelopment work from mouse ES-cell
…and reject NIH fundslines to human ES cells following the re-cent discovery that human ES cells can bedirected to develop into blood cells (Proc.Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 98, 10716; 2001).
Some large charities, such as theAmerican Heart Association, have shiedaway from stem-cell research, for fear ofalienating financial donors. There was spec-ulation that this was the reason for the RedCross’s decision. In addition, the organiza-tion has been under attack recently for itshandling of blood and monetary donationsafter the 11 September terrorist attacks.
However, Jerry Squires, chief scientificofficer at the Red Cross, insists the decision
to refuse the money was based on new sci-entific priorities, and denied that it was anattempt to avoid controversy. ‘‘The appli-cation for the supplemental grant was sub-mitted in August 2001,’’ prior to Squiresbecoming chief scientific officer, he toldNature Medicine. ‘‘Since that time, theAmerican Red Cross has reviewed and re-fined its strategic research priorities. Thesedo not include the work described in thesupplement. Therefore, the American RedCross has decided not to accept the grant.’’Instead, Squires wants researchers to focuson work involving stem cells from umbili-cal cord blood.
Marlene Cimons, Washington, D.C.
cause extra pressure and fluid in the lungsand other body tissues, leading to heartfailure. Around 40% of all patients over age65 who are hospitalized with heart failurehave diastolic dysfunction as the primarymanifestation of their heart failure. “Wedon’t know whether congestive heart fail-ure is just an exaggerated form diastolicdysfunction or if there something elsegoing on,” says Levine.
The study will examine aspects of dias-tolic dysfunction in seniors with a historyof heart failure and those without. It willtake four years to complete, and use someclassical invasive techniques for taking
New study on aging heartThe National Institutes of Health (NIH) hasawarded $1.7 million to University of TexasSouthwestern Medical Center at Dallas todefine the biology of diastolic heart fail-ure—the main cause of heart failure in theelderly—and determine whether exercisecan prevent or reverse the condition.
Historically, exercise research has notbeen a major focus of NIH funding. FrankBooth, professor in the department ofPhysiology at the University of Missouri,Columbia, who founded the ResearchersAgainst Inactivity-related Disorders (RID)group in 2000, has spearheaded an effort toget federal agencies to increase funding forresearch that examines the link betweenphysical inactivity and disease. He looksforward to more NIH funding as the popu-lation ages.
“It is clear is that the incidence of physi-cal frailty is climbing and preventive medi-cine—exercise and proper nutrition—is aproven means to alleviate and preventmany of the chronic diseases associatedwith the elderly,” he says.
Until now, most insights into the biol-ogy of diastolic heart failure have comefrom animal studies, and little is knownabout what happens in humans. In partic-ular, it is not clear “whether changes in theheart are due to senescence that occurswith aging or just due to de-conditioningof the heart muscles,” says UTSouthwestern lead investigator, BenjaminLevine.
As people age and become less active,the heart muscle stiffens. Because the ven-tricles are less able to relax, the heart can-not fill as readily in preparation for eachheartbeat—a condition known as diastolicdysfunction. Pressure inside the ventriclesbuilds up as blood tries to enter, which can
pressure/volume heart measurements. Itwill also use newer techniques like dopplerechocardiography and magnetic resonanceimaging to precisely determine how easilyheart muscle relaxes and contracts in olderindividuals and whether exercise will affectheart function.
In FY2000, 13% of the American popula-tion was aged over 65 and the proportionof elderly is projected to increase to 20% by2030. According to the Centers for DiseaseControl and Prevention, more than one-third of the population over 50 is seden-tary.
Laura Bonetta, Bethesda
Spanish scientists brokeEight of Spain’s biomedical research organizations have sent a joint manifesto to the
press complaining that their members have received none of the government money theywere promised for research over six months ago. Entitled The Chaos of Biomedical ResearchFunding in Spain, the document says, “[we] intend to express the disquiet of the scientificcommunity regarding the financing policy of basic biomedical research,” and claims “thework of basic biomedical research groups is being considerably distorted [by the prob-lem].”
The manifesto continues, “many groups have been forced to use internal loans” so that“research activities do not come to a halt.” Ana Aranda, head of the Department ofRegulation of Gene Expression at the Institute of Biomedical Research in Madrid, who iswaiting on funds approved last July says that some research groups owe millions of pesetasto other groups, both for consumables and salaries. The manifesto concludes, “This situa-tion is unprecedented in the recent history of science policy in Spain.”
Molecular biologist Rosario Perona, secretary of the Spanish Association of CancerResearch, says that the manifesto prompted a meeting with officials from the SpanishMinistry of Science and Technology (MST), who claimed that the delay was due merely topoor synchronization in advertising the research projects. At the 4 February meeting, re-searchers pushed the MST for a 30-day deadline for receiving the money.
Jaime Lissavetzky, spokesman for the socialist party’s science commission at theParliament, says that additional delay resulted from the change-over of currency to theEuro. Questions about the missing funds were due to be asked in the Spanish parliamentlast month.
XAVIER BOSCH, BARCELONA
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