Stem Cells: Adults Only

First, the news: President Bush has said he will veto the bill (legislation S5) passed by a 247 to 176 vote in the House of Representatives that would allow federal funding of stem cell research using human embryos. FULL STORY... Then, a summary of this post: There are great advances being made with adult stem cell research and therapy - applied therapy. More than 70 medical problems have been cured or alleviated with adult stem cells. On the other hand, not one has been helped yet by embryonic stem cells. None. Zero. Nada. (See list below.) "Oh, but Tom," some of you will be tempted to write, "that because the evil Bushies have suppressed embryonic stem cell research!" That's not true, not really. Many people do not understand a simple fact: President Bush is NOT opposed to "stem cell" research. His objections are quite specific: No federal money for embryonic stem cell research. Private institutions, universities and some states are funding embroyonic stem cell research, and their is no federal law against it. In other words, when people say that Bush is "against stem cell research," they are either lying, badly exaggerating, or sadly misinformed. The facts, all too often, get blurred or shoved under the carpet by politics. The mainstream media and liberal politicians are reluctant to actually tell you that. (Hmmm, I wonder why.) Bush's objections to embryonic stem cell research stems (no pun intended) from a fear that it would lead to the creation The bill (legislation S5) was passed by the Senate in April. This is the second time Bush has used his executive power to veto legislation on stem cell research. In a statement released from Heiligendamm in Germany where he is attending the G8 summit, Bush said:"If this bill were to become law, American taxpayers would for the first time in our history be compelled to support the deliberate destruction of human embryos. FULL ARTICLE... "But that's ridiculous!" some of you will be tempted to comment. Save it. Here's proof that such a comment itself would be ridiculous: California has allocated billions of dollars for embryonic stem cell research. Other states have, too. Guess what: Evahl Bush is doing nothing at all to stop any of the billions of non-federal dollars going into that research. Stem cell plans include creation of embryo bank California's stem cell institute yesterday unveiled its plans for spending $3 billion in a 149-page, no-hype document that sets what experts and patient advocates described as conservative and attainable goals. That same story goes on to reveal something that may shock you. It may also be an accidental admission by the writer that one of President Bush's objections to embryonic stem cell research is completely justified, and that fear is that such research would encourage the creation of embryo banks for stem cell research: Not one stem cell therapy is expected to be approved for market within the next 10 years of state-funded stem cell research under the proposal. But the plan would allocate funding for jump-starting embryonic stem cell research and the creation of a statewide embryo bank. That's right, the creation of a statewide embryo bank. Welcome to Aldous Huxley's nightmare. There are inconvenient truths about adult stem cells, and these truths are becoming more and more difficult to avoid and ignore. The truth: Adult stem cells offer far more advantages - near future, tangible advantages - than to the theoretical advantages of the far more dangerous embryonic stem cells. The following news story is an example (all emphasis mine): In a leap forward for stem cell research, three independent teams of scientists reported Wednesday that they have produced the equivalent of embryonic stem cells in mice using skin cells without the controversial destruction of embryos. If the same could be done with human skin cells -- a big if -- the procedure could lead to breakthrough medical treatments without the contentious ethical and political debates surrounding the use of embryos. Experts were impressed by the achievement. FULL STORY (AP)... However, the "if" really is not very big at all. Heart attack victims are already finding great benefits from using adult stem cell therapy. Really? Yes, really, as this story illustrates: The life-saving procedures involve the extraction of stem cells from the patient’s bone marrow or thigh muscles and transplantation of the cells to what was thought of as a permanently damaged heart. For the first time, doctors have been able to reverse the effects of heart attacks in the majority of the estimated 2,000 procedures worldwide. FULL ARTICLE... Will embryonic stem cells ever offer benefits. I don't know, and I'm not qualified to say. But there are many doctors and researchers who are proving that adult stem cells can and do save or improve lives now, today, and will continue to do so in the future. Copernicus and Galileo tried to tell the truth. They were persecuted and called heretics. But sooner or later, reality will break through the barriers of concensus and ignorance. We will all benefit. RELATED: Scorecard: Diseases and disorders cured with embryonic stem cells and with adult stem cells. (Source) Embryonic: (None) Adult: (73, listed below) Cancers: 1. Brain Cancer 2. Retinoblastoma 3. Ovarian Cancer 4. Skin Cancer: Merkel Cell Carcinoma 5. Testicular Cancer 6. Tumors abdominal organs Lymphoma 7. Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma 8. Hodgkin’s Lymphoma 9. Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia 10. Acute Myelogenous Leukemia 11. Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia 12. Juvenile Myelomonocytic Leukemia 13. Chronic Myelomonocytic Leukemia 14. Cancer of the lymph nodes: Angioimmunoblastic Lymphadenopathy 15. Multiple Myeloma 16. Myelodysplasia 17. Breast Cancer 18. Neuroblastoma 19. Renal Cell Carcinoma 20. Various Solid Tumors 21. Soft Tissue Sarcoma 22. Ewing’s Sarcoma 23. Waldenstrom’s macroglobulinemia 24. Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis 25. POEMS syndrome 26. Myelofibrosis Auto-Immune Diseases 27. Diabetes Type I (Juvenile) 28. Systemic Lupus 29. Sjogren’s Syndrome 30. Myasthenia 31. Autoimmune Cytopenia 32. Scleromyxedema 33. Scleroderma 34. Crohn’s Disease 35. Behcet’s Disease 36. Rheumatoid Arthritis 37. Juvenile Arthritis 38. Multiple Sclerosis 39. Polychondritis 40. Systemic Vasculitis 41. Alopecia Universalis 42. Buerger’s Disease Cardiovascular 43. Acute Heart Damage 44. Chronic Coronary Artery Disease Ocular (Eyes) 45. Corneal regeneration Immunodeficiencies 46. Severe Combined Immunodeficiency Syndrome 47. X-linked Lymphoproliferative Syndrome 48. X-linked Hyper immunoglobulin M Syndrome Neural Degenerative Diseases and Injuries 49. Parkinson’s Disease 50. Spinal Cord Injury 51. Stroke Damage Anemias and Other Blood Conditions 52. Sickle Cell Anemia 53. Sideroblastic Anemia 54. Aplastic Anemia 55. Red Cell Aplasia 56. Amegakaryocytic Thrombocytopenia 57. Thalassemia 58. Primary Amyloidosis 59. Diamond Blackfan Anemia 60. Fanconi’s Anemia 61. Chronic Epstein-Barr Infection Wounds and Injuries 62. Limb Gangrene 63. Surface Wound Healing 64. Jawbone Replacement 65. Skull Bone Repair Other Metabolic Disorders 66. Hurler’s Syndrome 67. Osteogenesis Imperfecta 68. Krabbe Leukodystrophy 69. Osteopetrosis 70. Cerebral X-Linked Adrenoleukodystrophy Liver Disease 71. Chronic Liver Failure 72. Liver Cirrhosis Bladder Disease 73. End-Stage Bladder Disease