ray,

you might want to check the date on your computer. wed, dec 1969 was a longgggggggggg time ago.  :))))

sami


--

On Wed, 31 Dec 1969 22:13:09   Ray Strand wrote:
>On Thursday, November 8, 2001, at 10:11 PM, Ivan M Suzman wrote:
>> Hi Bob,
>>
>> If a PWP wants to become a stem-cell
>> patient at one of these laboratories, what
>> are the first steps one must take?
>>
>
>Forget about these cell lines,..ANIMAL RESEARCH ONLY.
>Not available for human consumption.
>
>These lines have been cultured with fetal bovine serum
>and on mouse feeder cells.
>
>There is a concern that retro viruses could be transferred from those
>other species
>and we would have another problem disease like HIV.
>
>There are some private labs that have developed a  way to culture without
>a mouse cell feeder layer and substitute human amniotic fluid or growth
>factors.
>
>
>> Do we patients have any means to evaluate which
>> of the above laboratories should be selected
>> to affilaite with, for research treatments?
>>
>
>Short term, there are labs in the UK, Japan, Sweden, India that are
>still allowed
>to produce new lines -- and can take advantage of cleaner techniques.
>
>The labs that obtain these cell  lines will be investigating all sorts
>of issues.
>Over 200 kinds of body cells can be derived, not just neurons. Therefore,
>lab affiliation would be what it is now, if you have a favorite lab.
>  Wait for NIH approval for a Phase I Clinical Trial--yah right?
>
>There are existing animal models and lots of work done with animal stem
>cells
>and little in the way of moral objections about that.
>  And that is why there is such excitement about stem cells.
>Animal studies  have been promising.
>
>Now we gotta see how similar or different human cells are.
>
>> Are stem cells , once implanted, able to produce a
>> controllable amount of usable dopamine?
>
>Stem cells are smart cells--they go where needed for repair.
>
>There is  a lab in Sweden working on this--for Parkinsons.
>
>Other labs are trying non-stem cell lines.
>
>If growth gets out of control the cells need to be inhibited by the use
>of a rare antibiotic
>that they have been programmed to  be suseptable  (sp?).
>
>The area of viral transformation of cells or ways of turning genes on
>and off
>needs further investigation.
>
>> I am concerned that  just as fetal cell transplants may have
>> resulted in a few cases of unstoppable dyskinesias due to
>> over-production of dopamine, which may have caused egregious
>> harm to  a few unfortunate patients, proliferating stem cells
>> might cause similar harm by multiplying uncontrollably.
>>
>
>There will come a time when those issues will not be a concern.
>
>I worry about the outlawing of new stem cell lines that will come
>from beyond the reach of the Federal government
>and the outlawing of therapeutic cloning.
>
>I sincerely believe there are ethical ways of obtaining stem cells
>without the destruction of an embryo. That also needs investigation.
>
>Sorry, no references.
>Hard disk crash (under warranty),
>I don't know if my favorite articles are backed up somewhere or lost.
>I have had other priorities lately.
>
>I wish I could be more encouraging, but, like they say...
>maybe 2 years...
>maybe 5 years...
>maybe 10 years...
>
>it is coming.
>
>> Ivan
>> :-)
>>
>> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>>
>
>Ray
>
>49/47 dx/40 onset PD
>
>----------------------------------------------------------------------
>To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask]
>In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn
>


Join 18 million Eudora users by signing up for a free Eudora Web-Mail account at http://www.eudoramail.com

----------------------------------------------------------------------
To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask]
In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn