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Politics : PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: ColtonGang who wrote (170059)	8/10/2001 8:32:50 PM
From: Ish	Respond to of 769670

But what about adult stem cells. A local lady will have over 2 millions taken buy the same blood removal as the kidney deal. Will help to cure a blood disease at Mayo Brother's.

To: ColtonGang who wrote (170059)	8/10/2001 8:32:56 PM
From: Thomas A Watson	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 769670

Well if you wish to cite the crock you are free to. Or.... Then there's the myth now being promoted by the media and the proponents of embryonic harvesting that to go forward, the federal government must step in and shovel tons of taxpayers' money into research that concentrates on taking stem cells from living human embryos, thereby killing them. Corollary to that argument is the myth that these embryos are the only effective source of stem cells - that adult stem cells are a poor substitute. That is simply untrue. In recent weeks, people such as Mike Fumento who have bothered to brush aside the emotional arguments and looked at the matter in the light of cold hard reality have discovered that the propaganda surround stem cell research fails to fit the facts. Most important is the fact that embryonic stems cells are not at all the only preferred source of research material. As Fumento noted in the above-cited article, "even without federal funds, nay even without embryonic cells, stem-cell research has made tremendous strides toward bringing hope to persons with the very diseases Newsweek's cover lists, along with many others." Why, he asked, aren't we hearing about this? His answer: "scientific ignorance, with a dollop of disinformation tossed in for good measure. Advances in tissue-regeneration research are coming fast and furious because of something either ignored or pooh-poohed by embryonic-cell advocates - non-embryonic stem cells." Simply put, there are many sources for stem cells, and they are just as effective as those harvested from living human embryos - a fact either ignored by the kill-the-embryos crowd or unknown to them. They are found throughout the body, Fumento reveals, and scientists are converting them into an incredible array of mature cells with the ability to combat a vast number of devastating diseases and injuries. Fumento notes that New Scientist has reported that researchers have even removed stem cells from adult human hair follicles and converted them into skin grafts for victims of severe burns and ulcerated wounds. He lists some of the research concentrating on non-embryonic stem cells: According to Nature Medicine non-embryonic stem cells injected into rodents can transform themselves naturally into neurons and insert themselves into the brain, giving hope to persons with Parkinson's and other disorders. In another study it was discovered that injecting a chemical into damaged areas of rats' brains stimulated stem cells to grow and differentiate into a massive number of normal, fully developed nerves. The cells repaired damage and restored mobility to the rodents. Fumento notes that this study was partly financed by the Christopher Reeve Paralysis Foundation, which supports lifting the embryonic-stem-cell ban. At least four rodent studies and one pig study have shown that non-embryonic stem cells can be used to repair heart tissue in animals whose hearts had been intentionally damaged. Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience reported that rats with degraded retinas were injected with non-embryonic stem cells that traveled to the site of damage. There they showed signs of making connections with the optic nerve, which would be expected to improve or even restore vision. At Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, researchers injected non-embryonic stem cells into the spinal fluid of paralyzed mice and rats, half of which partially or fully recovered. This paves the way for human trials for those afflicted with ALS and muscular dystrophy. According to an article in the April issue of Tissue Engineering. Cells from liposuctioned fat have been transformed into bone, muscle, cartilage and mature fat cells. UCLA's Hedrick told the Los Angeles Times his findings "could take the air right out of the debate about embryonic stem cells." The fat cells' surprising usefulness, he said, "makes it hard to argue that we should use embryonic cells." Dr. Adam J. Katz agreed: "This discovery potentially could obviate the need for using fetal tissue." Dr. Donald Orlic of the National Genome Research Institute told NBC News in late March that "we are currently finding that these adult stem cells can function as well, perhaps even better than, embryonic stem cells." Writing in the July 31 Washington Times, Fumento revealed a dramatic breakthrough simply ignored by the U.S. media: "On July 24, researchers in Rostock, Germany, announced that two weeks before they had successfully transplanted stem cells into the heart of a man who, they report, is now doing well." Those cells came from the man's own marrow. "No embryos were harmed in the making of this miracle," Fumento wrote. Finally, let me make one thing clear; with all my heart and soul I hope this dramatic new development will bring to mankind all the benefits scientists expect to emerge from stem cell research. I watched someone suffer and die from ALS - Lou Gehrig's disease. It was a three-year-long ordeal that ended with paralysis followed by a slow and agonizing death. If stem cell research can prevent others from suffering what my beloved wife went through I'm all for it. But I am not in favor of killing living human embryos to achieve a cure for ALS or anything else. And neither would my beloved wife have been. As Fumento has shown - there's no need for it. newsmax.com tom watson tosiwmee