April 24, 2009

ATS Testifies Before House Subcommittee on Clean Air Issues

This week, William Rom, M.D., testified before the House Interior and Environment Appropriations Subcommittee, chaired by Rep. Dicks (D-WA), alongside actors Ashley Judd and Jeff Corwin. Judd and Corwin testified specifically on ecosystem preservation and wildlife protection. As chair of the ATS Environmental Health Policy Committee, Dr. Rom presented the Society's recommendations for strengthening air quality through increased funding for Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) programs. In his testimony, Dr. Rom pointed out that EPA Clean Air standards save the U.S. between $63 and $430 billion in healthcare and other costs associated with exposure to particulate matter.

Dr. Rom called for increased funding for the EPA's research program on the health effects of air pollution, which would enable the program to appropriately respond to the growing need for research on the health effects of climate change. He also urged the subcommittee to provide the funding necessary for the expansion of the nation's air pollution monitoring network to more accurately gauge air pollution associated with highways and high traffic areas.

Research: ATS Testifies on VA Research

This week, Galen Toews, M.D., and Jesse Roman, M.D., testified before the House Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriation Subcommittee in support of the VA research program. Both Drs. Roman and Toews called for $575 million (+$65 million) for the VA research program and a separate appropriation of $142 million in the VA minor construction budget to address the deteriorating condition of many VA laboratories.

Drs. Roman and Toews each spoke about the high quality research the VA program sponsors and how the program is an effective tool for recruiting and retaining physicians to serve in the VA.

Research: NIH Publishes Draft Stem Cell Research Guidelines

On April 23, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) officially published its draft guidelines governing stem cell research. The ATS will submit its evaluation of the draft guidelines during the public comment period, which ends May 26, 2009.

The draft guidelines permit funding for research using human embryonic stem cells that were derived from embryos created by in vitro fertilization (IVF) for reproductive purposes and are no longer needed for that purpose. They also describe the conditions and informed consent procedures required during the derivation of human embryonic stem cells used for NIH-supported research.

The draft also provides information on the status of ongoing research, and of applications pending review or to be submitted, prior to the issuance of final guidelines as follows:

• All ongoing research involving approved uses for human stem cells, including embryonic stem cells, will continue. However, no new uses of human embryonic stem cells may be initiated in NIH-funded studies, unless previously reviewed and approved by the NIH for the ongoing supported research projects until final guidelines are issued, expected in July;
• Applications previously submitted to and reviewed by the NIH that propose using embryonic stem cells will be held for funding decisions until the final guidelines are published. At that point, highly ranked applications can be modified to comply with the guidelines.
• The NIH will accept stem cell research during the guidelines development period, but the review process and funding will be on hold until final guidelines are published. At that point, applicants will be able to revise their submissions to comply with the guidelines. All information on the NIH stem cell draft guidelines can be found at: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-09-086.html

Points of Contact