Adult stem cells denied funds

L

Lee

New member
Letter: Adult stem cells denied funds
by Suzanne V. Atzinger | Ann Arbor
Tuesday March 31, 2009, 11:48 AM
On March 9, President Obama rescinded President Bush's executive order that limited federal funding for embryonic stem cell research.

What many Americans may not know is that after opening up
additional federal dollars for embryonic stem cell research, Obama also revoked Executive Order 13435.

That removed federal funding for "alternative methods" for obtaining pluripotent stem cells without involving the destruction of human embryos.

Theoretically, pluripotent stem cells taken from human embryos can become any tissue in the body, and according to scientists that capacity is what makes them so valuable.

In fact, an alternative method has been developed with induced pluripotent stem cells, in which adult stem cells can be reprogrammed to acquire the same characteristics as embryonic stem cells. That development was named by the Journal of Science as the "scientific breakthrough of the year" for 2008.

Why are we no longer providing federal funds for that "scientific breakthrough" that provides an alternative to the destruction of human life?

Why didn't Obama announce that along with his widely covered public announcement when he reversed restrictions on federal funding of embryonic stem cell research? Why did he refer to this executive order as 13435, and not explain what that means to the American people?

So much for transparency in government. So much for keeping politics out of science. So much for the protection of human life.


http://www.mlive.com/opinion/ann-arbor/index.ssf/2009/03/letter_pluripotent_stem_cells.html
 
B

barbara

Pioneer Founding member
My humble opinion for why this might have happened is that no politician, even the President, knows diddly squat about stem cells.
 
H

hlichten

Super Moderator
I understand that there is plenty to condemn the FDA and the previous administration over, but I am not that quick to condemn our new president, being the huge supporter of his that I am.

First off, can anyone provide other sources that substantiate this article?

I am sorry, but I can't just read one news article and proclaim it to be the truth.

You know that I am a huge supporter of freedom of the use of autologous cells, but I want to give the new administration benefit of any doubt.
 
H

hlichten

Super Moderator
Lee said:
Executive Order 13435
Expanding Approved Stem Cell Lines in Ethically Responsible Ways

Signed: June 20, 2007
Federal Register page and date: 72 FR 34591, June 22, 2007
Revoked by: EO 13505, March 9, 2009


http://www.archives.gov/federal-register/executive-orders/2007.html
Click to expand...

I am far from an expert on reading government bills and orders, but it appears that the new EO 13505 is a stopgap measure, where he is giving 120 days for information to be gathered. My guess is that he would be moving for new legislation or a new EO by this summer.

I don't see where EO 13505 shuts anything off, other than the EO that it rescinded.

Feel free to correct me.
 
B

barbara

Pioneer Founding member
Harv - I probably should not have been so quick to say that President Obama doesn't know diddly squat about stem cells. I am not making this a political debate. I am sure he has advisers that would be more apt to give him advise on a subject like this and therefore I will amend my comments to say his advisers probably do not know diddly squat about stem cells. There is so much confusion and so many misconceptions about all kinds of stem cells and that is unfortunate for us, the end users. The media has done a very poor job in reporting in my opinion as well. This leads to many thinking that all stem cells are embryonic, that no treatments are safe yet and that adult stem cells are not really very important now that funding has been restored by the Obama administration for embryonic stem cell research. ASCTA is working hard to make sure that President Obama is made aware of the importance of adult stem cell therapy and that federal funding should not be cut off.

Afterthought:
I think my main point was not something I made clear. If politicians had a clear understanding of stem cells and stem cell treatment, we would have A-ASC (autologous adult stem cells) treatment available to us in the U.S. today. ASCTA proposes legalization under strict guidelines for minimally manipulated stem cell therapy. This is safe therapy and could save millions of lives. Instead, politicians are choosing to ignore all but embryonic funding and research if the article is to be believed, therefore allowing big pharma to have it's way. This leads me to conclude that they do not understand autologous adult stem cell therapy. If I did not conclude this, I would have to say that corruption is going on outside the FDA as well as inside and I truly do not believe that. We need to continue our fight to educate.


For an audio presentation to understand the type of A-ASC treatment that ASCTA is advocating be legalized go to www.stemcelldocs.org
 
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H

hlichten

Super Moderator
No problem, Barbara.
I just don't like getting information from a single source
and immediately believing it to be the truth.

As I said, I now have read those Executive Orders and
don't fully understand what they have done, not done
or undone. I am officially confused at this point.
 
B

barbara

Pioneer Founding member
Harv - I have to agree with you completely. Is there a special class that is needed to write things if you work for the government? I got something from the IRS that said if I was confused and the confusion was caused by them to send them a letter. They said my 501c3 tax return was filed late and wanted to fine me a whopping $1900.00 for my little bird rescue. As it turned out, it was the wrong form number that my CPA sent in (on time by the way) as they had switched me to a different category within the 501c3 and my tax guy sent the old form in. He then had to ask for an extension to get the new form sent in. The extension was granted, however, the date they gave me was two months prior to when we asked for the extension. The wording was not to be believed! Neither my CPA nor I could make heads nor tails of it. Needless to say, they removed the penalty.

Let's hope that President Obama is confident enough about A-ASC stem cell therapy that he believes it should be legalized and therefore no funding is needed. That would be the best case scenario I can think of. If this is not the case and there are 120 days available to educate him, then ASCTA needs our support more than ever.
 
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Tami03

New member
I have spoken with Dr Feinerman and in essence he thinks that by opening this research that it will show how the umbilcal cord stemcells are proving to be more stable than embryonic stemcells. Even though I am still anti embryonic stemcells for any reason, my own personal beliefs, if it takes this to show people (FDA and goverment) that the umbilcal cord blood is life changing then so be it. I will also say that Ava has made unbellievable improvement, more flexible better than ever before. She I want to beleiveshe is saying hi and good. We just went to a swallow study and we were given some hope that she may eventually get away from the feeding tube, therapy and really pushing more solid foods. So good things happened today.
Tami
 
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Mysty119

New member
Tami

I am so happy for you, and for Ava. I know that those cells will keep working in her little body. God Bless you both.
 
B

barbara

Pioneer Founding member
Tami - That is awesome news about Ava. I am so pleased to hear this and thank you for posting. Tell her "Hi" back from all of us. Your thoughts on embryonic cells are similar to my thoughts on therapeutic cloning. It is the end that will justify the means. I believe that scientists will not need to use embryos in the future.
 
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