A presidential advisory commission has recommended that federal dollars be available not only for conducting experiments on human embryonic stem cells, but also for harvesting the cells from embryos that would otherwise be discarded by infertility patients.

The recommendations from the

Although the final recommendations had not been officially released at press time, the draft recommendations have been widely reported in the media.

The board, which consists of 17 philosophers and scientists, has been deliberating the ethical considerations involved in embryonic stem cell research over the past 9 months.

The board's advice is based on the conviction that the potential ability of stem cells to provide highly effective treatments for diseases such as Parkinson's disease, diabetes, and cancer far outweighs the ethical concerns.

Early research indicates that pluripotent stem cells can be isolated from embryos and grown into a desired differentiated cell line, such as doparnine cells. These cells can then be transplanted into the brains of patients with Parkinson's disease to provide functional improvement.

The final NBAC recommendations are expected to spell out the circumstances under which stem cells can be derived. For example, full consent will have to be obtained from in vitro fertilization patients who wish to donate their unused embryos.

NBAC also strongly supports the establishment of federal oversight of stem cell research.

President Clinton responded to NBAC's recommendations by taking a middle-of-the-road approach. Although he said the ban should remain in effect, he also supports guidelines being developed by the National Institutes of Health. The guidelines hinge on a report issued by the general counsel's office of the Department of Health and Human Services. The report states that embryonic stem cells originally harvested by privately financed scientists would not violate the ban.

Similarly, the guidelines state that it's acceptable for federally funded researchers to use embryonic stem cells that have been retrieved using private funds.

But some experts aren't comfortable with having to depend on the private sector to harvest stem cells because it lacks federal oversight.

"Experience has taught us that if we have to rely on the private sector for precious research tools, we end up paying a big price," said Paul Berg, Ph.D., director of the Beckman Center of Molecular and Genetic Medicine at Stanford (Calif.) University.

"The private sector has its own agenda and may not make certain stem cell lines available because of proprietary interest," said Dr. Berg, who won the Nobel Prize for chemistry in 1980.

For example, if a federally funded researcher creates beta-islet cells from harvested stem cells supplied by a private company, that company might claim proprietary rights to the islet cells and all other products that follow, Dr. Berg said.

"By playing ostrich, the federal government loses its ability to do quality assurance and is left on the sidelines as other countries take the lead. The focus of what will happen here will be entrepreneurial, as opposed to academic and scientific," said Dr. Evans, professor and chair of obstetrics and gynecology and a professor of genetics at Wayne State University, Detroit.

Dr. Mark I. Evans, who performed the first stem cell transplant on an infant with severe combined immunodeficiency disorder, agreed that federal funding for the research is necessary.

Meanwhile, nearly 80 members of Congress-including Rep. Jay Dickey (R-Ark.), who sits on the House appropriations subcommittee on labor, health and human services, and related agencies, which drafts NIH's budget-are demanding that HHS rescind its ruling allowing federal researchers to conduct experiments on already harvested human embryonic stem cells