"Recent reports also indicate that some adult stem cell research is further along in its commercial development than many embryonic studies. Along these lines, Samaritan Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (AMEX:LIV) announced that its Alzheimer's adult stem cell drug SP-sc04, which induces dormant brain neuronal stem cells to differentiate rapidly into adult neuron cells, is progressing through preclinical studies with promising results."And if you are interested in helping people sooner rather than later, you would think it would make sense to invest in the type of stem cells that are already past the research stage and are proven to work right now---cord blood stem cells. NBC4.com, Virginia:
Doctors hope to increase the number of donations of cord blood stem cells. The cells are a proven lifesaver that get thrown away in hospitals everyday.Cord blood stem cells are different than the controversial embryonic stem cells. They come from the umbilical cords of newborn babies -- a material that's usually discarded even though they're already proven lifesavers.Certain types of stem cells are similar to the ones found in bone marrow. They have the ability to develop into different types of mature blood cells. But unlike bone marrow, cord blood stem cells can be transplanted even if they aren't a perfect match with the recipient."It can be used for a variety of disorders: leukemia, lymphomas and hematolgic malignancies and also genetic disorders," said Dr. Lucy Nam, medical director of the Cord Blood Donation Program at INOVA Fairfax Hospital.And unlike embryonic stem cells, with cord blood cells you are not developing life only to destroy it for the purpose of research. The Sun Times cites an example of a California embryonic stem cell researcher causing paralyzed rats to walk again, but adult stem cells have been shown to repair spinal cord injuries in rats as well. See story and video in the Louisville Courier Journal here:
The video is dramatic.
A laboratory rat unable to use its right front paw because of a spinal cord injury struggles to walk across a rope, loses its footing and falls.
Then a rat that had the same injury scurries across the rope without a problem, just weeks after an injection containing adult stem cells from a human nose that were transformed into nerve cells.
The rats are part of a line of groundbreaking research at the University of Louisville that could lead to treatments for spinal cord injuries, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease and other nerve disorders.
But the Sun Times supports Governor Blagojevich's budget proposal for this controversial research which could be years away from curing anyone. I question whether our tax dollars should fund this at all. The President did authorize federal funding for embryonic stem cells that had already been developed at the time he made his decision, but left it up to the private sector to develop more lines or not. But aside from that, given that Illinois is late in paying medical providers already, and has a huge underfunded pension liability, why should the state assume this new financial burden? Supposedly funding will come from the Master Tobacco Settlement. I wonder how many times over that money is being cited as a funding source.
And what could be driving this, besides the usual election year urge to promise more Ponce de Leon cures to more people? (For more, see National Review here.) Ah yes, election year politics. The pro-abortion agenda. Nope, can't even admit the thought that an embryo might be a life, and that destroying human life for research might be wrong. Now some people might be OK with aborting an embryo at an early stage, others with discarding less than 5 day old blastocyts, but intentionally destroying an embryo for research has got to be wrong for our society.
It is barbaric.
And it is stunning that our governor and other political leaders, as well as the Sun Times, have become hucksters of human life, putting their faith in politically-driven junk science.
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