# 297 Wednesday, February 21, 2007 -IOWA STEM CELL EMERGENCY:  Tonight!

There will be a public meeting TONIGHT (Wednesday, February 21st)  in the
Iowa State Capitol, for input on a vital stem cell research bill.

"Our liberties we prize and our rights we will maintain" is the official
motto of the Hawkeye State, and Iowa is living up to its spirit: with a new
law to restore scientific liberty and to preserve every family's right to
the best medical treatment available.

If you live in Iowa, or know someone who does, right now is the time to
stand up and be counted. (Even out-of-staters like myself can also send a
quick email of support: read on, it is so easy.)

The bill is called the Iowa Stem Cell Research and Cures Initiative (House
File287), formerly SF 162.*

According to a news report:

"A bill that would ease state restrictions on stem cell research has cleared
an Iowa House committee on a party-line vote.  The bill is likely to be
debated soon by the full House. But first, there will be a public
hearing.scheduled for seven to ten (TONIGHT-dr) in the House
 Chamber."--KTIV-TV, Sioux City, Iowa, February 20, 2007.

Any Iowan (outsiders as well) wishing to provide input may do so in two
ways:

One: with a personal appearance before the committee. Call the Iowa
Legislative Information Office (515) 281-5129.  They will put you on the
list. Drive to the Capitol and speak. (I called myself, and they are
friendly folks.)

Two: send an email to the committee chair, addressed to:
[log in to unmask]
I will be doing that personally.

I would like to extend appreciation to the Coalition for the Advancement of
Medical Research's Legislative Consultant, Kimberly Love, for timely
notification. Once again, our flagship organization-our group of groups--
gets the word out!

The original notice I received (on Friday, sorry not to get it to you
sooner!) reads as following:

 Dear Iowa CAMR Members,

We have learned the Iowa legislature is in the midst of considering
legislation that would reverse the state's current ban on therapeutic
cloning, also known as somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT). As you know,
SCNT research could lead to cures and treatments for many devastating
diseases and conditions. The current ban in Iowa stifles research.

The legislation to reverse the ban on SCNT is called the Iowa Stem Cell
Research and Cures Initiative (SF 162). If it were to pass and become law,
it would allow for scientists in Iowa to participate in this field of
exciting and promising regenerative research. CAMR supports this bill.

  The State Senate passed the Iowa Stem Cell Research and Cures Initiative
(SF162) last week. Now, the State House is preparing to take up the bill and
Iowa State Representatives need to hear from pro research and pro SCNT
constituents.

  Please contact your State Representative with the following message:

  "I strongly support SF162, the Iowa Stem Cell Research and Cures
Initiative and I urge you to vote for this legislation."

I suggest including the above sentence, and also a personal paragraph about
the condition which inspires you to care about research for cure: for me
that would be my son Roman's paralysis.

Want to know a little more about the SCNT referred to?

SCNT research is supported by the American Medical Association (AMA), the
National Academy of Sciences, the Association of American Universities, many
communitities of faith and national women's rights groups, Nancy Reagan,
Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, the late Christopher Reeve, Michael J. Fox, more
than 40 Nobel laureates, the Coalition for the Advancement of Medical
Research (representing more than 80 patient's rights and disease advocacy
groups)-- and every major medical, scientific, and educational group which
has taken a position on the issue.

Briefly, from my non-scientist's perspective.

Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer (SCNT), sometimes called therapeutic cloning,
is a way to make stem cells that fit the patient, or the disease being
studied.
It is as different from reproductive cloning (cloning to make children as
was done with Dolly the sheep) as lightning is different from the light
bulb. One is dangerous; the other brings light to darkness.
Reproductive cloning to make children is something we can all be against. To
the best of my knowledge, it has never been tried with humans, and never
should be. No responsible scientist I know supports this dangerous fantasy.
In California, attempting reproductive cloning is forbidden by law, and that
prohibition is written into our state's constitution.

SCNT, however, is as potentially positive as the other is negative.
Imagine growing new cells for a damaged heart, to heal the patient from
within-or to restore sight to the blind, hearing to the deaf, or motion to
the paralyzed.
Here is how it may work.
A Q-tip is scraped across the inside of the patient's cheek. That yields a
skin cell, which is added to one egg like a woman loses every month. This
bit of tissue is set in a dish of salt water, shocked with electricity and
left to sit for five to seven days.  Then it is taken apart and the stem
cells removed.
The stem cells could then be encouraged to become whatever is needed. To
study Parkinson's, for example, it might be most useful to first make cells
that track the stages of the disease, so it could be studied in a Petri
dish, instead of a patient.

For my paralyzed son Roman, it might be the cells to grow new nerves in a
damaged spine.

It is also important to know what SCNT is not.
Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer involves no sperm, no implantation in the
womb, no womb, and absolutely no child.
Without implantation in the womb, there is no possibility of human birth.
Without a mother's nurturing womb, there can be no baby.
Cells, cells, nothing but cells-SCNT research is nothing but cells.
Here are some useful quotes about SCNT, sometimes called therapeutic
cloning:
FORMER PRESIDENT JIMMY CARTER'S OPINION
.  "One of the great scientific accomplishments of our time, therapeutic
cloning or nuclear transplantation, (SCNT-dr) presents promising new
opportunities for the treatment of many serious illnesses and injuries that
have long plagued the world. These include heart disease, Parkinson's, and
spinal cord injury just to name a few.
"Though I fully support banning reproductive cloning, I strongly oppose any
restrictions on therapeutic cloning."  (emphasis added-dr)
Sincerely,
 Jimmy Carter
THE LATE FORMER PRESIDENT GERALD FORD'S OPINION
  "Therapeutic cloning or nuclear  transplantation may have enormous
potential for the treatment of heart disease, diabetes, Alzheimer's disease,
Parkinson's, spinal cord injury and a vast array of other disease and
injuries. Unlike reproductive cloning, this approach will never produce a
cloned human being. But it could result in the development of life-saving
therapies that could improve the well-being of all Americans.
 "During my tenure as President, concerns were raised regarding research
involving recombinant DNA. After careful thought, safeguards were put in
place to ensure close monitoring of the research. Allowing recombinant DNA
research to proceed produced significant advances in the prevention and
treatment of diseases and illnesses that affect millions of Americans
including vaccines, insulin for diabetics and treatments for AIDS and
cancer.
 "I strongly urge you to use the recombinant DNA model as a precedent, and
allow research conducted for therapeutic purposes to proceed.
 "I reiterate my opposition to reproductive cloning and my full support for
therapeutic cloning which is so vital to scientific research for the
treatment of many serious diseases and injuries.
My very best wishes,
Gerald Ford
FORMER FIRST LADY NANCY REAGAN'S OPINION
Office of Nancy Reagan, open letter to Orrin Hatch
"I'm writing. to offer my support for stem cell research and to tell you I'm
in favor of new legislation to allow the ethical use of therapeutic cloning.
I support a complete ban on reproductive cloning. However, I believe that
embryonic stem cell research, under  appropriate guidelines, may provide
scientists with many answers that are now beyond our grasp.
 "There are so many diseases that can be cured or at least helped, that we
can't turn out back on this. We've lost so much time already. I can't bear
to lose any more.
Sincerely,
Nancy Reagan
 IN CASE THE OPPOSITION TALKS ABOUT "ALTERNATIVES".
"SUBSTITUTES" FOR EMBRYONIC STEM CELLS?
A White House document, "Advancing Stem Cell Science Without Destroying
Human Life" claims new methods of making stem cells render embryonic stem
cells obsolete.
The simple truth? There are no substitutes. While amniotic fluid, adult stem
cells, reprogramming of cells, and other alternate research certainly
deserves study, no credible expert supports using them as a replacement for
embryonic stem cells.
Listen to the experts:
Dr. Anthony Atala, lead researcher for the headline-making amniotic fluid
study: "Some may be interpreting my research as a substitute for.embryonic
stem cells. I disagree with that..." Atala went on to say that it is
"essential that National Institutes of Health-funded researchers are able to
fully pursue embryonic stem cell research."AP, 1/9/07
Drs. Kevin Eggan, Chad Cowan, and Douglas Melton, whose work on
reprogramming cells was cited in the White House document: "We are
disappointed that the White House Office of Domestic Policy gave us no
opportunity to correct the report's clear misrepresentation of our work.
(which was) used to support arguments that research involving human
embryonic stem cells is unnecessary. The overwhelming consensus in the
scientific and medical community is that embryonic stem cell research holds
the greatest potential to cure disease and end the suffering of millions."
Dr. George Daley, Harvard stem cell expert, "Amniotic cells ARE NOT
embryonic stem cells. (They are) just the latest in a long list of stem
cells.that do not replace embryonic stem cells." quoted in CAMR document,
1/9/07
Lawrence S.B. Goldstein, Ph.D., Investigator, Howard Hughes Medical
Institute.
 "Although this paper (on amniotic stem cells) is interesting, I am not
convinced that the amniotic stem cells are pluripotent. More work is needed
to verify and validate these findings. For my work on human neurons, the
amniotic stem cells don't appear to make neurons as usable as what we
routinely make with human embryonic stem cells."
Sean J. Morrison, Ph.D, Director, University of Michigan Center for Stem
Cell Biology:
".the claim that these cells are equivalent to (embryonic) hES cells is
inconsistent with the data.We need research to go forward now with hES
cells.."
Robert E. Palazzo, Ph.D, Director, Center for Biotechnology, Rensselaer
Polytechnic Institute: "Tactics to distract from fundamental research by
offering the possibility of promise for cures from alternative approaches
should be discouraged.
Sean Tipton, President of the Coalition for the Advancement of Medical
Research (CAMR): "Embryonic stem cell research opponents selectively and
irresponsibly tout individual studies when it's politically convenient.We
need a federal policy change on embryonic stem cell research.passing the
Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act.."
SEND YOUR EMAIL!  [log in to unmask]
By Don Reed
www.stemcellbattles.com

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