The Truth About Stem Cell Policy In The US

Media misleads the current policy on stem cells.

(PRWEB) October 17, 2004 -- I was diagnosed with Parkinsons disease 4 years ago at the age of 33. The diagnosis ended a 13 year marriage and a 16 year military career---and nearly my life.

As an advocate for stem cell research over the last few years I find myself disappointed at the community of an estimated 1.5 million Americans with Parkinsons disease.

The current Presidential elections have placed stem cell research in the spotlight, this is both positive and negative. The media continues to mislead the public on the issue of the current US policy as enforced by President Bush. The typical American believes the policy bans" all stem cell research in this country. That is far from the truth.

The policy restricts, not bans, the use of federal money (our tax dollars) to be utilized for embryonic stem cell" research. It does not impose any restrictions on adult stem cell" research.

In addition to the above the policy places no limits on embryonic research using private funds.

Federal Funding
In FY 2003 $24.8 million was budgeted for human embryonic stem cell research conducted in 2004, an increase of 132 percent from FY 2002.
In FY 2003 the Administration strongly supported promising research using adult stem cells by providing $190.7 million for human non-embryonic stem cells (adult stem cells, including those from cord blood, placenta, and bone marrow) in 2004.

Private Funding
Over 1,000 scientists at more than 30 firms were granted over $208 million for experimenting on embryonic and adult stem cells in 2002.

Ethical Decision?
President Bush made the decision to open, for the first time, the laboratory doors to federal funding for human-embryonic-stem-cell research. He determined, however, that federal funds should not be used to encourage or support the destruction of living human embryos, a principle that has been part of federal law since 1996. Funds would be made available for research derived from embryos that had already been destroyed. He placed no limits on private funding of research.

Embyronic Stem Cells
Embryonic stem cells are isolated from human embryos that are a few days old or from fetal tissue older than 8 weeks of development. Since research began in 1998 embryonic stem cells have not been effective in treating disease yet their full potential may remain untaped.

Embryonic stem cells are derived from human embryos. Specifically from embryos that develop from eggs that have been fertilized in vitro-in an in vitro fertilization clinic-and then donated for research purposes with informed consent of the donors. They are not derived from eggs fertilized in a woman's body. The embryos from which human embryonic stem cells are derived are typically four or five days old and are a hollow microscopic ball of cells called the blastocyst. The blastocyst includes three structures: the trophoblast, which is the layer of cells that surrounds the blastocyst; the blastocoel, which is the hollow cavity inside the blastocyst; and the inner cell mass, which is a group of approximately 30 cells at one end of the blastocoel.

Adult Stem Cells
An adult stem cell can renew itself, and can differentiate to yield the major specialized cell types of the tissue or organ. The primary roles of adult stem cells in a living organism are to maintain and repair the tissue in which they are found. Some scientists now use the term somatic stem cell instead of adult stem cell. Unlike embryonic stem cells, which are defined by their origin (the inner cell mass of the blastocyst), the origin of adult stem cells in mature tissues is unknown.

Adult stem cells, such as blood-forming stem cells in bone marrow (called hematopoietic stem cells, or HSCs), are currently the only type of stem cell commonly used to treat human diseases. Doctors have been transferring HSCs in bone marrow transplants for over 40 years. More advanced techniques of collecting, or "harvesting," HSCs are now used in order to treat leukemia, lymphoma and several inherited blood disorders.

The clinical potential of adult stem cells has also been demonstrated in the treatment of other human diseases that include diabetes and advanced kidney cancer.

Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer
Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer (SCNT), commonly referred to as therapeutic cloning, may prove to be a vital tool in allowing scientists to fully develop the promise of stem cell research. The procedure, more accurately described as nuclear transplantation to produce stem cells, has great potential to increase the understanding and treatment of many diseases and debilitating disorders, including Parkinsons, spinal-cord injury, diabetes, Alzheimers, rheumatoid arthritis, ALS, heart disease, and cancer. Nuclear transplantation involves the following: DNA is taken from the body cell of a person suffering from a disease; it is then injected into an unfertilized egg from which the nucleus has been removed; and the egg is stimulated to divide and produce stem cells. These stem cells can potentially grow into any organ or tissue. The new organ or tissue would have the same DNA as the person suffering from the disease and may greatly reduce the likelihood that their body will reject that tissue, it may also help obviate the need for immunosuppressive drugs, which often have severe and potentially life-threatening side effects.

SCNT uses only unfertilized embryos. The nations leading scientists, including two prestigious committees of the National Academy of Sciences and the American Association of the Advancement of Science, agree that cloning to produce humans should be illegal, but that SCNT technology should be permitted. The Parkinsons Action Network is working with the Coalition for the Advancement
Hopes

Stem-cell research holds great promise and hope. In all fairness, despite what the media and politics has us believe the president recognizes the potential of stem cell research and has opened the door for this research in a compassionate and ethical manner.

Should our tax dollars be used to conduct research on embryos? Is the research being hampered? Should the federal government make ethical decisions? All difficult questions.
Embryonic stem cell research is growing by leaps and bounds worldwide. American Universities are opening research labs every day, individual states are passing legislation and funding their own embryonic stem cell programs.

Finally it is important to keep in mind that cures via stem cells (no matter what the source) are at least a decade away---if not longer. Promising to cure disease by lifting the embryonic stem cell restrictions for political gain is dishonest and misleading. It is my hope that those living with Parkinsons or other disabilities can think outside the box and realize that the policies in place are fair and are working.
Tom Berdine
WWW.YoungParkinsons.Com

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