Are You a Believer Now?

Well, I hope you have enough information to reach your own conclusions about stem cell research. What I hope I have made clear over the past few months are these arguments:

1) There are too many forms of research for the scientific community to dwell on one area of research, embryonic. If huge breakthroughs occur with umbilical cord blood, fat cells, and destroyed embryos, the government will have to budge and reconsider its strict policies on embryonic stem cell research.

2) If the United States doesn’t invest more money into stem cell research, we will continue to lose the lead in the medical community we once had over other countries like China and the UK.

3) Cloning to use embryonic stem cells is morally unjust. Donate your own stem cells like you donate your own blood. It should be a choice for the donator.

4) Write senators. There are too many high-ranking government officials who are supporters of stem cell research. Let me them know you agree, and are mad that stem cell research is moving within our country at an embarrassing slow pace.

5) And lastly, now that you’re educated on this matter—though it’s cliché—educate others. Speak out in debates and posit the option of using stem cells.

If You Can't Beat 'Em, Go to China!

I never thought of this as an option, but it is definitely viable and also legal for Americans to go to where you can stem cell treatment with little to no governmental influence. It's just a very expensive "plan B" from plane tickets, to hotels, and also the stem cell procedure. One man, Alexander McKenzie Wallace, despite the expense made this trip.

At age 70, Alexander made the trip to China this past September as a last chance to save his life and fight his disease, Ataxia. Ataxia' means ‘absence of order’. People with ataxia have problems of co-ordination. This is because parts of the nervous system that normally control co-ordination and balance are affected. Ataxia is the principal symptom of a group of neurological disorders called the cerebellar ataxias. Most are progressive, meaning your symptoms get worse.

What's most exciting though is watching Alex's improvement. I cannot embed the videos onto my blog but can provide links for you to read his interviews and see his videos. After only a month, Alexander went from only being to walk short distances and then neeeding a rest, to stamina improvement so much he could walk upstairs. His story is truly unbelievable.

Cheese Anyone?

In many of my blogs, I have mentioned how researchers have conducted experiments on mice and concluded their findings could be applied to humans. I didn't understand why until now. According to Dr Jane Rogers, Welcome Trust Sanger Institute, "We share 99% of our genes with mice, and we even have the genes that could make a tail." And not only that but, "The mouse "book of life" reveals that humans and mice share at least 80% of their genes, with only 300 unique to either organism."

America is not the only country conducting research on mice. The UK, China, and Japan, all use mice for scientific research. Scientists can work out what human genes do by "knocking out" similar looking genes in mice and studying the results.
Researchers can also trace the malfunctioning genes responsible for disease by examining sick mice that display symptoms apparently similar to human conditions. If I were you, I would think twice about killing this rodent that and sometimes unwelcome roommate.

Sanchez Supports Stem Cell Research Too

Before I dive into why Loretta Sanchez supports stem cell research, I want to cover something I was not recently aware of. In addition to Bush only allowing stem cell researchers to use damaged embryos, he has limited the supply of embryos available to those stem cell lines that existed when President Bush issued an executive order on August 9, 2001. So, stem cells that were made available after that date cannot be used. Way to abuse your power.

Sanchez is taking her support a step further than other congressmen and senators, and is actually working on a bill called The DeGette-Castle Stem Cell Research Bill. The bill only authorizes the use of stem cell lines generated from embryos that would otherwise be discarded by fertility clinics. Furthermore, the bill includes stronger ethical guidelines than the President’s current policy--something Conservatives should find soothing but overlook.

Did I mention yet that 72% of Americans support this BIPARTISAN bill. That's right, democrats and republicans are actually agreeing. Additionally, almost 3/4 of Americans want to see this bill put into action.

Here's a short list of other congressmen who support stem cell research I compiled in litterally a few minutes; without question, there are more supporters than this. I just wanted to show the positions these officials occupy.

California's Republican governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger,
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi
Majority Whip James E. Clyburn
Sen. Majority Leader Bill Fris
Sen. John Kerry,
Representative Roscoe Bartlett

These are key power players in the government, and they can't even persuade our president. Sometimes I wonder if I'm wasting my time.

Feinstein Supports Stem Cell Research

Something I learned is that Senator Feinstein supports stem cell research. In fact, many of "Caleefornyah's" officials support stem cell research including its governor, Schwarzenegger.

Feinsten says that we must engage in "sensible stem cell research legislation" and that it "must contain provisions to expand the number of lines eligible for federal funding." It still surprises me that our federal government does not agree and continues to hinder every state's progress.

Some of Feinstein's objectives are:

1)To lift restrictions to expand the number of stem cell lines available for federal funding.

2)To pass a federal ban on human reproductive cloning while protecting important medical research.

I hope you noticed that her second objective refutes the conservative argument.

Clear Some Things Up

My blog informing people of what stem cells are is pretty lengthy...maybe even borderline unclear. Here is a two minute youtube video that could clarify some things.

A New and Kind of Gross Trend

Parents are saving their childrens' umbilical cord blood after birth. According to research "A cord blood stem cell transplant with a person's own cord blood stem cells, or that of a sibling, gives your child the greatest possible chance of being cured of their disease." So, I guess it's worthwhile, just a very different practice.

I know you're thinking, "How is this done?"

After your baby is born and the umbilical cord is clamped and cut, your doctor will collect the cord blood using either a syringe or a blood bag. The procedure is safe, painless, and only takes a few minutes.

What's even more interesting is that not only is the newborn a good match for the stem cells, but so is the mother, because she carried the baby for nine months, and so are other siblings. It should also be noted that any family member who is a suitable genetic match may be able to use the stem cells if needed.

Moreover, cord blood can be stored for a long time. Current data reflects that cord blood cells stored for fifteen years have the same composition as they did at the time of storage. All science involving cryogenic storage of cells also indicates that the cells should remain viable indefinitely.

This last statistic is something I find to be most interesting. And although people are leery about interpreting stats, citing it can be manipulated to interpret anything, I would urge them to look beyond their skepticism.

According to medical research, the odds that a child will need to use his or her own stem cells for current uses is 1 in 2,700, and the odds that a family member would need to use those cells are about 1 in 1,400. These odds do not include the emerging use of cord blood stem cells to treat heart disease, diabetes, Parkinson's, Alzheimer's and spinal cord injury. The continued progress would greatly increase the likelihood of use.

Plans to Build the New Jersey Stem Cell Facility are Now Slowed

A few weeks ago New Jersey announced to the world that it was going to be building the first facility dedicated entirely to stem cell research in the country. At that time, the state believed that the public would without question be in favor of passing the initiative, but as we found out on Tuesday November 6th, that is not the case.

Though it was close, the state failed to persuade the majority of the public losing in the polls 53% to 47%. They needed 4% more. Does this mean the state is going to back down? Hell no. Instead, the state is going to hold meetings with pharmaceutical companies and get them to finance the remaining $450 million.

This is the kind of persistence I wish we all had. Why back down because of one shortcoming, because of one rock in the road, especially when New Jersey had 47% of its voters support the measure. This is the beginning of a change, and hopefully New Jersey will be a leader in this medical revolution.

Want to Lose Weight???

BBC News reported that, "New nerves grown from stem cells taken from a patient's fat could be available by 2011." Enough of these cells could be used to heal hundreds of people. It's not many, but is definitely a start. Again, the research that produced these results was done on rats--I'm not exactly sure how humans are similar to these disgusting creatures--but still researchers are placing much emphasis on these findings.

According to Professor Giorgio Terenghi UK Centre for Tissue Regeneration,after receiving this stem cell transplant, "The patients will not be able to tell that they had ever 'lost' [the feeling to] their limb." How scientists accomplish this procedure is by extracting stem cells from fat tissue and then coax the cells into
becoming neurons - nerve cells - in the laboratory, which can form into anything.


The frequency of nerve injury is one in every 1,000 of the population. So, in other words, it's a common injury. And we can remedy this issue by not using embryos, so why aren't we? America seriously doesn't mind losing its status as the predominant and once innovative country it use to be. Does everything have to be related to the I-Phone to gain attention? Or can we can focus on health care for a second?

I Love My Parents... kind of

I love my parents, but they are so freakin stubborn and set in their old ways. Earlier today I was talking to my dad, about how he should have considererd alternative eastern medical practices instead of western medicines when treating my sister's illness, and he said it never occurred to him to research eastern concepts of healing. And then I brought up the possible use of stem cells, and well he completely brushed off the idea.

He, and many other Americans are unwilling to inquire about this science, because they don't understand it, and nor do they want to take the time to research the promise of stem cells. Instead, these non-believers will be like the rest of this country and jump on the bandwagon once a breakthrough occurs, which will likely take place oversees because of our government. It's sad.

I understand realism and wanting to trust facts and proven methods, but apart of me is almost always willing to say, "let's take a chance." That's how progress is made. Am I alone on this?

Tremors Got The Best of Her

For almost a decade now, my sister has taken medicine to treat her tremors. The downfall of taking medicine that treats tremors though is that it drastically effects her mood, almost to the point of mania.

The past two years have been the worse for her and my immediate family of 12 members--that was not a typo, I said 12, the number after 11. During the past two years, my sixteen-year-old sister has been in over 11 mental hospitals to treat her outbursts. She was literally a threat to my family, threatening to burn down my dad's house, she previously stole my dad's truck and crashed it, and has tried to jump out of moving vehicles on numerous occassions. The reason I say, "she was literally a threat" to my family is, because she's no longer living with my family.

Nine days ago I received an email from her twin sister informing me she was gone, and wasn't coming back. Her twin exaggerated that last fact. After speaking to my dad, she will either stay in a mental hospital in San Francisco until she's 18 or 21; so for at least two years.

If only embryonic stem cell research was legal, and could be used to treat her disease.

We Can Add Diabetes to The List

Not only are stem cells expected to cure Alzheimers and Parkinsons, but now evidence is suggesting that Type 1 Diabetes is a possibility. On World Diabetes Day, November 14th, a think tank will once again assemble to present their findings to the media via teleconference. The conference is held in Miami.

Type 1 Diabetes is growing in epidemic proportions effecting greatly children age 5 and younger. As a response to this phenomenon, diabetes researchers across the globe have been working to advance the study, prevention, and treatment of type 1 diabetes. The medical group decided to announce its findings through a teleconference instead of a typical press release, because this way, a question and answer session can occur to clarify the groups findings. The group of scholars will also disclose that, because of its findings, the way medical doctors are detecting Type 1 Diabetes is also changing. For example, a simple blood test can now identify the autoantibodies for type 1 diabetes up to 10 years before diagnosis.

Is Type 1 Diabetes really that bad?

YES! The serious complications of diabetes include heart disease, stroke, blindness, kidney damage and lower-limb amputations.