Tehran, Oct 31, IRNA - Enthusiastic
stem-cell researchers in Iran face plentiful funding but a shortage of
equipment, Nature weekly journal of science said
quoting American scientist Rudolf Jaenisch.
"During my time in Tehran, I encountered only
enthusiasm and hospitality. Other Westerners, such as Emory University's Sarah
Berga, who has spoken at this conference before, were treated equally well.
"My only regret is that there were not more Americans
there.
"The Royan conferences on reproductive biology are
hosted by the Royan Institute in
Tehran, one of the premier research institutions in the Muslim world. The word
royan means embryo in Farsi, and the institute has a strong emphasis on human
embryonic stem cells and reproductive biomedicine.
"The Iranian government is enthusiastic about
supporting stem-cell science. Researchers must obey some ethical rules: human
reproductive cloning is not allowed, and Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the country's
spiritual leader and highest authority, has warned researchers to be careful
that making parts of human beings does not lead to the production of a human
being. Within those guidelines, scientists in this field are well supported by
the religious government.
"When the Royan Institute moved to a new building
this year, Ayatollah Khamenei visited to express his support. The new building
is very modern and the institute attracts the best students.
"The congress attracted over 2,000 participants and
more than 80 speakers from Iran and all over the world, but only seven speakers
were from the USA. Sessions were conducted in English and ranged from
gynaecology to epidemiology to ethics, as well as, of course, stem- cell
biology.
"The conference facilities were excellent and
discussions within sessions and in the corridors were lively. Accomplishments
presented at the conference included a cloned sheep, molecular characterizations
of pluripotency and other work in proteomics, cellular reprogramming, and work
on both adult and embryonic stem cells. This annual congress is of great
importance for Iranian scientists, as it is the best, and for many the only, way
of meeting foreign scientists.
"The main problems for science are not within the
country but in moving people and equipment between Iran and the rest of the
world.
"International collaborations are even more crucial
for scientists in Iran than in other countries because of the absurd logistical
hurdles Iranian scientists face in doing their work.
"Although Iran has a permissive internal regulatory
environment and its researchers are well funded, the country cannot import the
scientific equipment and supplies that most stem-cell scientists use every day,
and that many could not imagine doing without. This is largely the result of
trade sanctions imposed on Iran by other countries, including the United States
and the European Community, under which the export of some items of scientific
equipment to Iran is banned and others require special export licenses.
"One scientist I met had completed a postdoctoral
fellowship in Canada before choosing to come back to work in Iran. He now heads
a group of researchers studying the proteomics of stem cells; they've solved
crystal structures and published in international journals. But they do not have
access to a mass spectrometer, the standard workhorse of almost all proteomics
laboratories. The lack of instrumentation means that they must partner with
other labs.
"Once they've succeeded in making a protein, they
send it off to Germany for analysis. Again, this limitation is not because of
the cost of these essential machines; it is because a part is made in America
and the US trade embargo prohibits its import into Iran.
"Delays and setbacks are built into the scientific
process no matter where it occurs, but researchers in Iran face an additional
burden imposed, largely, by politics. Cell biologists lack even the machines
that sort cells by surface-protein markers because the necessary US-made
equipment cannot be imported.
"They cannot perform many experiments that we
consider routine, but rely on collaborators who have the necessary equipment.
Even when equipment has been procured, Iranian researchers face logistics that
prevent them from getting on with their experiments.
"It seems to me that these restrictions are not in
anyone's interest. Scientists themselves exacerbate the situation, fuelled by
misinformation that they put themselves at personal risk by travelling to Iran.
Of course, people who would not be able to refrain from political discussion or
dress as expected would be wise not to go. But the vast majority of scientists
would find themselves surrounded, as I was, by courteous, hospitable,
well-informed men and women who relish interaction with other scientists.
Unfounded apprehensions about the risks of travelling to Iran effectively add a
scientific embargo to the political one.
"Iranian scientists have no such worries about
travelling abroad.
At every turn, students - both men and women - asked
for my advice in obtaining a position in an American laboratory. Although
scientific supervisors in Iran are rightfully concerned about a brain drain,
they are also keen to support their students' training. If equipment is lacking
for a given project, it may make more sense to send a student, and not just
samples, to a laboratory outside the country. My understanding is that Iranian
students and postdocs who find positions in foreign laboratories can expect
government help in covering their expenses.
"European and Australian stem-cell laboratories are
open for collaboration and exchange with Iranian scientists, but Iranians have
little contact with Americans. A major hurdle is the difficulty in obtaining a
US student visa. For this, an Iranian scientist must first go to a third country
like Turkey and arrange for an interview with a US consulate. Even after this
investment in time, trouble and money, the student cannot be certain whether the
visa will be granted. My impression is that many able Iranian students do not,
or cannot, even attempt to get permission to study in the United States.
"There are clear differences between our countries,
but these fade in the laboratory as we approach scientific questions.
Furthermore, attitudes and policies that stifle scientific work and
collaboration hinder not only science, but also international relations.
"When we don't have an exchange of ideas, we foster
fanaticism and intolerance; this is something that science could help to
counteract," Jaenisch said.
