Illinois Federation

For Right to Life

Daily News

Wednesday, June 25, 2008

Canadian Federal Government Pledges $100 Million for Stem Cell Cancer Research with California

California Institute for Regenerative Medicine was created specifically to do embryonic stem cell research

 

The Canadian federal government has pledged Cn $100 million to fund a joint Canadian/US project in cancer stem cell research. The money given by Ottawa to fund the Cancer Stem Cell Consortium will be matched by the California government.

 

The Globe and Mail reports that federal health minister Tony Clement denied the funds would be used for experiments on embryonic stem cells. Instead, he said, the money will be used to fund research on cancer stem cells that are believed to direct the creation of tumour cells. The announcement about the Canadian funding came last Wednesday at the BIO 2008 International Convention in San Diego.

 

Clement told the Globe and Mail, "Two and a half years ago, some visionaries on both sides of the border realized that 70 per cent of all of the researchers - and of all the research - in cancer stem cells were occurring in two places, Canada and California, and that, if we collaborated together with our leading-edge research, we would be able to make some huge breakthroughs in this area."

 

Despite the assurance from Clement, however, the Canadian monies will go to fund work with the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM), which was created specifically to do embryonic stem cell research.  The CIRM was created by California's Proposition 71 in 2004. Prop 71 authorized the California government to earmark US $3 billion over ten years for stem cell research.

 

Proposition 71, the California Stem Cell Research and Cures Initiative, made the conducting of all types of stem cell research a state constitutional right and particularly gave priority to human embryonic stem cell research that uses living human beings at the embryonic stage as research material. The passage of Prop. 71 was seen as a direct rebuke to President George W. Bush over his embryonic stem cell research funding ban.

 

The pledge from the Canadian federal government matches that made in 2007 by Dalton McGuinty, the premier of Ontario, who signed an agreement to provide Cn $30 million to the Cancer Stem Cell Consortium. 

 

Contact: Hilary White

Source: LifeSiteNews.com

Source URL: http://www.lifesitenews.com

 

 

The IFRL is the largest grassroots pro-life organization in Illinois. A non-profit organization, that serves as the state coordinating body for local pro-life chapters representing thousands of Illinois citizens working to restore respect for all human life in our society. The IFRL is composed of people of different political persuasions, various faiths and diverse economic, social and ethnic backgrounds. Since 1973 the Illinois Federation for Right to Life has been working to end abortion and restore legal protection to those members of the human family who are threatened by abortion, infanticide and euthanasia. Diverse though we are, we hold one common belief - that every human being has an inalienable right to life that is precious and must be protected. IFRL is dedicated to restoring the right to life to the unborn, and protection for the disabled and the elderly.   Click here to learn more about the IFRL.