NJ Science Marches On . . .

Unfettered embryonic research is expected to be a boon for the New York economy. Some say as many as 5 thousand high-paying jobs will be created as NIH grants flow.
But what about NJ where Governor Corzine and Governors Codey and McGreevey before him, promised to make NJ the national capital for stem cell research. They claimed we could eventually lead the way to new treatments for diseases like Parkinsons and diabetes?
Unfortunately, the answer could be that the new research rules would mean very little here. According to scientists at the Coriell Institute for Medical Research in Camden, NJ may have missed the boat.
While New York and California have been investing in embryonic stem cell research, many NJ scientists have either moved on to other research or left the state after Governor Corzine’s 450 million dollar bond referendum was defeated in 2007. About 54 percent of the state’s voters did not support the referendum, which would have funded Stem Cell Institute in New Brunswick and other state research through the sale of bonds. Some opponents objected to the measure on moral grounds, while others opposed the state taking on more debt.
Last month, Corzine cut $13 million from this year’s state budget for stem-cell research after slicing $21 million in January. The Recession claims another victim.
The cuts effectively eliminated state funding for stem-cell research for the year,
Basically without state or federal funding NJ scientists found opportunities elsewhere. At the Coriell Institute scientists have focused energy on so called “pluri-potent” cells that are derived from adult stem cells not embryos. This is probably just fine with those who say using human embryos in scientific research is tantamount to murder.
But the fact may be that the Garden State is not positioned to reap the economic benefits of the new federal policy.

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