Excellent job, Wilson!!  I especially like the last paragraph.
thanks for sharing!
Ray

Rayilyn Brown
Director AZNPF
Arizona Chapter National Parkinson Foundation
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From: "Wilson DeCamp" <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Friday, May 15, 2009 2:40 PM
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: comment on NIH draft guideline

> I sent the following comment to NIH (slightly revised from Amy Rick):
>
> Embryonic stem cell research holds great promise for millions of Americans
> suffering from many diseases and disorders. As an individual who has been
> diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, I have been following progress in this
> field  with great interest. Significant strides have been made over the 
> past
> decade,  and the final guidelines issued by NIH must build on this 
> progress
> so that cures  and new therapies can get to patients as quickly as 
> possible.
> The final  guidelines should not create new bureaucratic hurdles that will
> slow the pace of  progress.
> I am pleased that these draft guidelines -- in Section II.B -- appear to
> permit federal funding of stem cell lines previously not eligible for 
> federal
> funding and for new lines created in the future from surplus embryos at
> fertility clinics. However, as drafted, Section II.B does not ensure that 
> any
> current stem cell line will meet the criteria outlined and thus be
> eligible for  federal funding. In particular, Section II.B(5) appears to 
> create a
> cumbersome  and duplicative consent process to establish the eligibility 
> of a
> specific  donation of human embryonic stem cells for use in research.
> It will be important for the final guidelines to allow federal funds for
> research using all stem cell lines created by following ethical practices 
> at
> the  time they were derived. This will ensure that the final guidelines
> build on  progress that has already been made. I also believe that the 
> final
> guidelines  should permit federal funding for stem cell lines derived from
> sources other  than excess IVF embryos, such as somatic cell nuclear 
> transfer
> (SCNT). Sections  II B and IV of the draft guidelines do not permit such
> federal funding.  Therefore, I recommend that the final guidelines provide
> federal funding using  stem cell lines derived in other ways. If not, it 
> is
> essential that the NIH  continue to monitor developments in this exciting 
> research
> area and to update  these guidelines as the research progresses.
> Finally, I urge you to reject those public comments that give greater
> weight  to the potential of an embryo to develop into an adult human than 
> to the
> needs  of an existing adult human for access to needed cures for an 
> existing
> disease.  Such comments are anti-science in their essence, and degrade the
> value of every  living person.
> Wilson DeCamp
>
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