Britain has announced that it is to double its spending on stem cell research to £100 million over the next two years. The controversial drive has been declared in response to calls for an increase in funding for Britain to retain its position as one of the leading regions in the controversial research.
On Friday, Chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown stated that the extra funding would go towards investment in pre-commercial aspects of stem-cell research.British scientists have state that they want to unleash the potential of stem cells to provide new treatments for illnesses such as Alzheimer’s disease and spinal cord disabilities. However, they have complained that there has been a substantial hole in their funding to develop the technology from simple initial scientific advances, to more practical applications of research.
The government has also planned to establish a public-private consortium to use stem cell technology in drug discovery, and has continued to maintain that it will have a “flexible” approach to regulating this project.
Brown said, “Britain should be the world's number one centre for genetic and stem cell research, building on our world leading regulatory regime in the area.”
British pro-stem cell groups have pointed out how other world nations have invested heavily in this field and had previously called on the Chancellor to follow this trend to keep up with the world market.
South Korea, China and Singapore have all put stem cell research as a top priority, and the US has been known to have invested large amounts of money despite federal restrictions on embryonic stem cell work. California alone is planning to spend US$3 billion over 10 years.
Stem cells are master cells in the body that can develop into any cell type, and scientists believe they could therefore act as a type of repair system for the body.But their use is controversial because the most promising stem cells for treating human diseases are derived from very early human embryos left over from fertility treatments.
The British announcement comes out following a meeting on Monday where six European countries joined together to declare their objections to the European Union’s highly controversial plans to fund stem cell research.
