Keri:

Thank you for taking the time to respond.  Please read the following if you 
want to help.

In 2003 I had heard of Turner and Levesque.   I called Levesque's office and 
was steered to DBS.  I had two DBS surgeries in June and Sept 2003.

In 2004 I saw and heard Turner's senate testimony on my computer and noticed 
his head shaking.

Since the FRC began using him as a PD ASC  "cure" I  called him 3-24-06.  He 
was in bad shape like me.

I also contacted Levesque re his Phase II,  which was on hold.  Even so, the 
FRC used Patricia Payne as a "cure" even though she was just going to be in 
Phase II.  Phase II never happened.

In Feb 2009 the Open Stem Cell article was online.  It confirms the facts 
that Turner had a DBS in 1999 with the initial surgery and was on PD meds 
during the treatment.  Two factors like these make his "reprieve" 
questionable.

On 2-18-2009 I called  Turner again and of course he is worse, but now he is 
a "successful" ASC treatment patient.  Dr. Levesque emailed me that he had 
never claimed  Turner was a "cure" but  FRC did.  Still no Phase II.

The Kentucky study you are referring to is most likely Amgen's aborted GDNF 
infusion therapy trials in  Kentucky which had nothing to do with stem cells 
of any kind.  GDNF is a "growth" factor, yet the FRC listed these folks as 
cures.  How do I know this?  I know people who were in the trial who aren't 
doing so well either.

The Australian study with rats is just not close enough  to human 
application to engender hope in my opinion.

So far, there are no cures for Parkinson's, adult or embryonic.  I am 73 - 
I've had PD 13 years.  You could help the PD community by stopping the at 
best "misleading" claims re ASCR you employ in your efforts to ban embryonic 
stem cell research.
,
Ray
Rayilyn Brown
Director AZNPF
Arizona Chapter National Parkinson Foundation
[log in to unmask]

--------------------------------------------------
From: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Wednesday, April 15, 2009 1:58 PM
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re:  Adult Stem Cells for PD

> 1045592  Ms. Rayilyn Brown
>
> Dear Rayilyn,
>
> Thank you for your email to Family Research Council.
>
> I apologize that our use of David Turner's story is upsetting to you --it 
> is not our intent to upset patients suffering from PD, but rather to offer 
> hope.
>
> To read the recently released peer-reviewed paper by Dr. Levesque, please 
> see the following:  (Contact info is at the bottom of the press release 
> below.)
>
> ORIGINAL MEETING REPORT (bottom of the web page)
> Levesque M, Neuman T. Autologous transplantation of adult human neural 
> stem cells and differentiated dopaminergic neurons for Parkinson disease: 
> 1-year postoperative clinical and functional metabolic result [abstract]. 
> American Association of Neurological Surgeons Annual Meeting, April 3, 
> 2002.
> http://www.aans.org/Library/Article.aspx?ArticleId=12096
>
>
> SENATE TESTIMONY 2004
> Dennis Turner's Senate testimony from 2004
> http://stemcellresearch.org/testimony/turner.htm
>
> Dr. Levesque Senate testimony from 2004
> http://stemcellresearch.org/testimony/levesque.htm
>
>
> NEWS STORY ANNOUNCING PUBLICATION
>
> Groundbreaking Paper Publishes Long Term Results of a Successful Phase I 
> Clinical Trial Using Autologous Neural Stem Cells to Treat Parkinson's 
> Disease
> Posted : Mon, 16 Feb 2009 14:11:25 GMT
> http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/groundbreaking-paper-publishes-long-term,717571.shtml
>
> LOS ANGELES, Feb. 16 /PRNewswire/ -- Scientists announced today the
> publication of a landmark peer-reviewed paper in the February issue of the 
> Bentham Open Stem Cell Journal which outlines the long term results of the 
> world's first clinical trial using autologous neural stem cells for the 
> treatment of Parkinson's disease. According to lead author, Michel F. 
> Levesque, MD, FRCS(C), FACS, "We have documented the first successful 
> adult neural stem cell transplantation to reverse the effects of 
> Parkinson's disease and demonstrated the long term safety and therapeutic 
> effects of this approach." Dr Levesque is a principal investigator for 
> NeuroGeneration, a biotechnology company, and is affiliated with the UCLA 
> School of Medicine and the Brain Research Institute.
>
> The researcher reports that the publication of the article, "Therapeutic 
> Microinjection of Autologous Adult Human Neural Stem Cells and 
> Differentiated Neurons for Parkinson's Disease: Five-Year Post-Operative 
> Outcome" in the Bentham Open Stem Cell Journal heralds an important moment 
> in regenerative and personalized medicine. "Our paper describes how we 
> were able to isolate patient-derived neural stem cells, multiply them in 
> vitro and ultimately differentiate them to produce mature neurons before 
> they are reintroduced into the brain's basal ganglia. This is performed 
> without the patient requiring immunosuppressants. Of particular note are 
> the striking results this study yielded -- for the five years following 
> the procedure the patient's motor scales improved by over 80% for at least 
> 36 months. A word of caution must be added however, since this is a single 
> case study, a larger clinical trial is needed to replicate these 
> findings," says Levesque.
>
> "We have been pioneering the use of neural stem cells for 
> neurodegenerative disorders since 1998 and were the first research team to 
> successfully use differentiated adult neural stem cells for the cellular 
> restoration and treatment of Parkinson's disease. Our original methodology 
> is based on the replication of several steps in human neurogenesis to 
> regenerate millions of mature neurons characterized before 
> transplantation. These steps are essential to establish safety, efficacy 
> and to understand mechanisms of brain repair. The autologous approach 
> mitigates the long term risks associated with allogenic transplants, 
> including infection, inflammatory response, immune rejection, and poor 
> biologic efficacy. In addition, we believe it was the combination of 
> dopaminergic and GABA-ergic neurons that produced the long- lasting motor 
> improvement. This suggests that in humans, Parkinson's disease is more 
> than a chronic dopaminergic dysfunction and involves the GABA-ergic system 
> with its glial environment. The relevance of this discovery cannot be 
> understated because it questions the classical dopaminergic model of 
> Parkinson's disease," says Levesque.
>
> Scientists at NeuroGeneration are planning a larger prospective clinical 
> trial for Parkinson's disease. "It's our hope that this trial will result 
> in the launch of a cost-effective and lasting therapies for the millions 
> of patients suffering from debilitating neurodegenerative disorders," 
> concludes Levesque.
>
> ABOUT NEUROGENERATION:
>
> NeuroGeneration, a biotechnology company, is engaged in the development of 
> biological products for the repair of neurological disorders. The company 
> has completed a Phase I clinical trial for Parkinson's disease using adult 
> derived neural stem cells. It intends to start a Phase II study for the 
> treatment of Parkinson's disease as soon as it received final approval 
> from the FDA. It is also planning Phase I studies for multiple systems 
> atrophy, atypical parkinsonism, stroke, spinal cord and brain injuries, 
> and Alzheimer's disease. The company was founded in 1998 and is 
> headquartered in Los Angeles, California.
>
> FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
> Heather Larrabee
> NeuroGeneration
> 310.659.3880
> [log in to unmask]
> http://www.neurogeneration.com
>
> --------------------------------
>
> Rayilyn, please also see some of the following new studies:
>
> These Australian researchers haven't yet tried to treat patients, but 
> their pre-clinical studies with animals look very good.
>
> STORY
> Adult stem cell findings offer new hope for Parkinson's cure
> Published: 10:53 EST, June 06, 2008
> http://physorg.com/news131968438.html
>
> Adult stem cell findings offer new hope for Parkinson's cure
> By: on: Fri 06 of Jun, 2008
> http://www3.griffith.edu.au/03/ertiki/tiki-read_article.php?articleId=16841
>
> Dr. Peter Silburn
> Brisbane, Australia
> [log in to unmask]
>
> Professor Alan Mackay-Sim
> Griffith University, Queensland, Australia
> [log in to unmask]
>
> ------------------------
>
> Also, scientists at U of Kentucky have seen improvement in 10 Parkinson's 
> patients who had a stimulatory factor injected into their brains (which 
> stimulated their own brain adult stem cells).
> For more information contact:
> Dr. John Slevin, MD
> University of Kentucky Medical Center
> [log in to unmask]
>
> Rayilyn, I hope this information is helpful to you.  Please do not 
> hesitate to contact us if we can provide any additional assistance, and I 
> apologize again for upsetting you.  Thank you for sharing your comments 
> with us, and may God bless you and your family.
>
> Sincerely,
>
> Keri Boeve
> Correspondence
>
>
>
>
> --- Original Message --------------------------------------------------
>
> Ms. Rayilyn Brown
> 18507 N Windfall Dr
> Surprise, AZ 85374-8938
> E-Mail:  [log in to unmask]
> Subject:  Adult Stem Cells for PD
> Date:  April     09, 2009
>
> How dare you keep using the Dennis Turner/Levesque experiment as a 
> successsful treatment for PD?  I called Turner on 3-24-06 and 2-18-09 and 
> he is in bad shape.I have PD too and you have no idea how upsetting this 
> is to me.  Stop this cruel hoax!!!
>
>
> 

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