One of the state's leading pro-life advocates said Monday she has shifted to regrouping mode following a defeat on embryonic stem cell research at the hands of the University of Nebraska Board of Regents.

Julie Schmit-Albin, executive director of Nebraska Right to Life, said pro-life allies haven't yet discussed strategy after Friday's decision by NU regents to open the door to expanded embryonic stem cell research.

But Schmit-Albin said she knows this much: Lincoln Regent Jim McClurg's decision to break ranks with his pro-life colleagues and vote to allow the research to expand has her group weighing whether to continue endorsing novice political candidates with no track record.

And Schmit-Albin wouldn't rule out the possibility of going back to the Legislature to lobby for new restrictions.

"Let's just say we're discussing things," she said.

She also would not speculate on how her group will tackle future regents elections. Only one regent, Kent Schroeder of Kearney, is up for re-election next year; he voted to allow the research to expand.

"The prudent course is that we come together as a pro-life lobby coalition and discuss what recourse we have, if any, due to Friday's events," Schmit-Albin said.

"I know people are pretty upset. They feel deceived. There's a lot of curiosity about how that (vote) could have occurred."

Regents voted 4-4 on a resolution that would have limited embryonic stem cell research to only cell lines approved under former President George W. Bush. Expansion has become a possibility since President Barack Obama relaxed the Bush guidelines.

The resolution needed a majority to pass.

McClurg (pictured) cast the deciding vote.

Appointed to the board in 2001, McClurg was first elected in 2006. He earned the Nebraska Right to Life endorsement that year, even renting out the group's mailing list to distribute campaign materials.

At that time, he was on record opposing expanded embryonic stem cell research.

But last week, McClurg said though he remains pro-life, his views on stem cell research have evolved.

He also said a state law passed last year that prohibits the use of state facilities to create or destroy embryos for research provided appropriate ethical guidelines for embryonic stem cell research at the medical center.

Schmit-Albin countered she doesn't believe the pro-life senators who supported that law, LB606, were saying yes to expanded embryonic stem cell research.

She added McClurg has "laid down a gauntlet" and said pro-life groups will soon reach out to Gov. Dave Heineman and pro-life senators to gather reaction to the regents' decision.

McClurg's vote wasn't the first time a candidate has earned the Nebraska Right to Life endorsement and then failed to vote accordingly.

Such disappointments may mean the group's political action committee will stick to endorsing incumbents with proven records, Schmit-Albin said.

"I for one don't like getting burned," she said.

McClurg, for his part, said last week his focus was being the best regent he could be, not worrying about re-election.

His term ends in 2012. He said recently it's too early to predict whether he'll run again.

Meanwhile, leaders at the University of Nebraska Medical Center predicted the vote will smooth their recruiting efforts for a new program in regenerative medicine.

The program -- for which the medical center has reserved an entire floor of one of its state-of-the-art research towers -- aims to yield treatments for some of the most debilitating conditions, like spinal cord injuries and diabetes.

Supporters of embryonic stem cell research believe it could play a key role in the pursuit of such treatments. Thus, recruitment would have been difficult had regents voted to limit research, said Tom Rosenquist, the medical center's vice chancellor for research.

Chancellor Harold Maurer said last week the center likely had lost two scientists it was trying to recruit because regents were considering limiting the research.

But Rosenquist predicted the medical center hasn't sustained permanent damage.

"Many, many states have considered this issue," he said. "I don't think it's unusual for a state to consider these things and for legislation to be discussed."

Now, with a green light, medical center scientists will start applying for grants for embryonic stem cell research once the federal National Institutes of Health decides which stem cell lines are approved for study, Rosenquist said.

Until this point, embryonic stem cell research has made up a tiny fraction of the medical center's entire research enterprise, he said.

But all forms of stem cell research -- such as that using adult stem cells -- along with the broader area of regenerative medicine makes up as much as 30 percent of the medical center's research activities, Rosenquist said.

"It is where medicine is going in the 21st century," he said. "It's addressing all those dreaded diseases for which there's no pill, no surgery."

For instance, one medical center scientist recently discovered a way to make new retinal cells out of stem cells grown from adult eyes, giving hope to those who suffer from degenerative eye diseases, Rosenquist said.

Acknowledging the controversy surrounding embryonic stem cell research, Rosenquist said the research is sure to face continued public discussion.

But, he said: "It's not something that I'm staying awake at night worrying about."

Reach Melissa Lee at 473-2682 or mlee@journalstar.com.