Controversial or Not, New Jersey Determined to Construct $150 Million Stem Cell Research Center

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Reported by Annette Kreuger, Industrialinfo.com (Industrial Info Resources; Houston, Texas). Stem cell research continues to entrench itself as one of the more controversial fields of life science research. Containing elements seemingly ripped from a best-selling novel, featuring a plot line filled with politics, morality, science fiction and the very beginning of life itself, the furor, specifically regarding embryonic stem cell research (thought to be the most promising, but in which embryos are destroyed during research), is not likely to dissipate anytime soon. New Jersey isn’t shying away from the potential fight as it continues with plans to construct a $150 million stem cell research center.

While many find themselves firmly nay or yea on the subject, a large group remains firmly ambiguous. Nobody, including the president, wants to be seen by their constituents as the one who is denying them a possible cure from a multitude of maladies. Political lines are often crossed when the potential of personal relief of suffering is at stake.

Staunch republican and presidential widow Nancy Reagan made headlines when she publicly opposed President Bush’s position on the subject. After having lived with the stark realities of Alzheimer’s effect on her husband, former President Ronald Reagan, she voiced her support of the promise stem cell research in treating the devastating condition. In 2001, Bush restricted the use of federal money to lines of embryonic stem cells already in existence.

A very basic description of stem cell research, according to The National Institutes of Health (NIH), is that the cells serve as a sort of repair system for the body, they can theoretically divide without limit to replenish other cells as long as the person or animal is still alive. When a stem cell divides, each new cell has the potential to either remain a stem cell or become another type of cell with a more specialized function, such as a muscle cell, a red blood cell, or a brain cell.

New Jersey’s plans to construct a stem cell research center have been kicking around for several years (reference Pharmaceutical Tracker - Online Database). Former New Jersey Governor and present state Senate President Richard J. Codey (D-Essex County) has been a firm supporter of the research center project. During his tenure as governor, Codey received Senate approval for a bill seeking funds from the state’s operating budget that recently expired due to inaction. Codey has responded by introducing a new bill targeting money from New Jersey’s unused bond capacity, with the public support of current state Governor John Corzine.

The $150 million Stem Cell Institute of New Jersey is planned for construction in New Brunswick. The center would be affiliated with both the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey and Rutgers University.

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