NATURE MEDICINE • VOLUME 8 • NUMBER 3 • MARCH 2002 201

NEWS

The use of federal funds for human embry-onic stem (ES)-cell research in the US re-mains controversial, and in another twistin the contentious field, the NationalInstitutes of Health awarded its first stem-cell grant on 7 February to the AmericanRed Cross, which promptly turned itdown.

The money—$50,000 in a supplementto an existing grant—was to go to RobertHawley of the Jerome H. HollandLaboratories of the American Red Cross inRockville, Maryland. The supplement wasto have allowed him to translate his blooddevelopment work from mouse ES-cell

…and reject NIH fundslines to human ES cells following the re-cent discovery that human ES cells can bedirected to develop into blood cells (Proc.Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 98, 10716; 2001).

Some large charities, such as theAmerican Heart Association, have shiedaway from stem-cell research, for fear ofalienating financial donors. There was spec-ulation that this was the reason for the RedCross’s decision. In addition, the organiza-tion has been under attack recently for itshandling of blood and monetary donationsafter the 11 September terrorist attacks.

However, Jerry Squires, chief scientificofficer at the Red Cross, insists the decision

to refuse the money was based on new sci-entific priorities, and denied that it was anattempt to avoid controversy. ‘‘The appli-cation for the supplemental grant was sub-mitted in August 2001,’’ prior to Squiresbecoming chief scientific officer, he toldNature Medicine. ‘‘Since that time, theAmerican Red Cross has reviewed and re-fined its strategic research priorities. Thesedo not include the work described in thesupplement. Therefore, the American RedCross has decided not to accept the grant.’’Instead, Squires wants researchers to focuson work involving stem cells from umbili-cal cord blood.

Marlene Cimons, Washington, D.C.

cause extra pressure and fluid in the lungsand other body tissues, leading to heartfailure. Around 40% of all patients over age65 who are hospitalized with heart failurehave diastolic dysfunction as the primarymanifestation of their heart failure. “Wedon’t know whether congestive heart fail-ure is just an exaggerated form diastolicdysfunction or if there something elsegoing on,” says Levine.

The study will examine aspects of dias-tolic dysfunction in seniors with a historyof heart failure and those without. It willtake four years to complete, and use someclassical invasive techniques for taking

New study on aging heartThe National Institutes of Health (NIH) hasawarded $1.7 million to University of TexasSouthwestern Medical Center at Dallas todefine the biology of diastolic heart fail-ure—the main cause of heart failure in theelderly—and determine whether exercisecan prevent or reverse the condition.

Historically, exercise research has notbeen a major focus of NIH funding. FrankBooth, professor in the department ofPhysiology at the University of Missouri,Columbia, who founded the ResearchersAgainst Inactivity-related Disorders (RID)group in 2000, has spearheaded an effort toget federal agencies to increase funding forresearch that examines the link betweenphysical inactivity and disease. He looksforward to more NIH funding as the popu-lation ages.

“It is clear is that the incidence of physi-cal frailty is climbing and preventive medi-cine—exercise and proper nutrition—is aproven means to alleviate and preventmany of the chronic diseases associatedwith the elderly,” he says.

Until now, most insights into the biol-ogy of diastolic heart failure have comefrom animal studies, and little is knownabout what happens in humans. In partic-ular, it is not clear “whether changes in theheart are due to senescence that occurswith aging or just due to de-conditioningof the heart muscles,” says UTSouthwestern lead investigator, BenjaminLevine.

As people age and become less active,the heart muscle stiffens. Because the ven-tricles are less able to relax, the heart can-not fill as readily in preparation for eachheartbeat—a condition known as diastolicdysfunction. Pressure inside the ventriclesbuilds up as blood tries to enter, which can

pressure/volume heart measurements. Itwill also use newer techniques like dopplerechocardiography and magnetic resonanceimaging to precisely determine how easilyheart muscle relaxes and contracts in olderindividuals and whether exercise will affectheart function.

In FY2000, 13% of the American popula-tion was aged over 65 and the proportionof elderly is projected to increase to 20% by2030. According to the Centers for DiseaseControl and Prevention, more than one-third of the population over 50 is seden-tary.

Laura Bonetta, Bethesda

Spanish scientists brokeEight of Spain’s biomedical research organizations have sent a joint manifesto to the

press complaining that their members have received none of the government money theywere promised for research over six months ago. Entitled The Chaos of Biomedical ResearchFunding in Spain, the document says, “[we] intend to express the disquiet of the scientificcommunity regarding the financing policy of basic biomedical research,” and claims “thework of basic biomedical research groups is being considerably distorted [by the prob-lem].”

The manifesto continues, “many groups have been forced to use internal loans” so that“research activities do not come to a halt.” Ana Aranda, head of the Department ofRegulation of Gene Expression at the Institute of Biomedical Research in Madrid, who iswaiting on funds approved last July says that some research groups owe millions of pesetasto other groups, both for consumables and salaries. The manifesto concludes, “This situa-tion is unprecedented in the recent history of science policy in Spain.”

Molecular biologist Rosario Perona, secretary of the Spanish Association of CancerResearch, says that the manifesto prompted a meeting with officials from the SpanishMinistry of Science and Technology (MST), who claimed that the delay was due merely topoor synchronization in advertising the research projects. At the 4 February meeting, re-searchers pushed the MST for a 30-day deadline for receiving the money.

Jaime Lissavetzky, spokesman for the socialist party’s science commission at theParliament, says that additional delay resulted from the change-over of currency to theEuro. Questions about the missing funds were due to be asked in the Spanish parliamentlast month.

XAVIER BOSCH, BARCELONA

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