Hi all,
IMHO, this is not just good news for a cure, it's good news for those of us
who wish to remove the political stubbling blocks from researchers struggling
to bring about a cure. The political message here dominates, and that is
exactly what we need in the press, and all the media for that matter. Let's
milk this one for everything it's worth--our lives!
Charlotte Mancuso
URL for this article is http://www.msnbc.com/news-- then scroll down to a
bulleted list for this title:
New hope for Parkinson’s cure
Embryonic stem cell transplants reverse symptoms in mice
ASSOCIATED PRESS
SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 16 — Scientists may be on the brink of curing
Parkinson’s disease using transplanted embryonic stem cells, but where and
when that new treatment is tested in humans depends on unresolved political
decisions, researchers suggested Friday.
DR. OLE ISACSON of Harvard Medical School and Dr. Ronald McKay of the
National Institutes of Health said Friday they have both “cured” Parkinson’s
in mice and rats, using stem cells removed from embryos of laboratory animals.
In a report at the national meeting of the American Association for
the Advancement of Science, Isacson said mouse and rat embryonic cells, after
careful processing, can be grafted into the animal brains where they
transform into replacements for cells killed by Parkinson’s.
“In mouse models (laboratory tests) these cells have restored
function,” said Isacson.
Using a slightly different technique, McKay said his NIH lab has also
prompted mouse embryonic stem cells to convert into cells that are lacking in
Parkinson’s.
McKay and Isacson said researchers are almost ready to test the
technique in humans, but social and political issues must be resolved in the
United States before that step can be taken in this country.
At the same time, McKay said it may happen soon in Britain, France or
the Netherlands, as those countries are adopting policies to advance
embryonic stem cell research.
“It’s going to happen, but just where may depend on social and
political issues,” McKay said. “There is a great sense of optimism shared by
many people in the field right now.”
In the United States, some groups, including some members of Congress,
oppose the use of embryonic stem cells in research because gathering the
cells requires the death of a human embryo.
Facts about Parkinson's disease
New NIH guidelines permit federal funding of such stem cell research,
but only if the cells are extracted from embryos in labs not receiving
federal funding.
Tommy Thompson, the new secretary of Health and Human Services that
oversees NIH, said he is reviewing the policy on embryonic stem cells
research.
Some researchers have sought NIH funds to conduct embryonic stem cell
studies, but no grants have been issued, said McKay.
Stem cells: all the facts
Just what is an embryonic stem cell, anyway? And what does the new research
mean? To find out answers to your frequently asked questions, choose a
question below.
------------ Embryonic stem cells facts -------------
What are embryonic stem cells?
Why are stem cells so important?
Where do embryonic stem cells come from?
Where do the embryos come from?
What did the new research show?How are stem cells used to treat disease?
Are there other potential uses?
What can these cells tell us about development?Can these cells make a woman
pregnant?
Source: University of Wisconsin, Madison
More than 1 million Americans have been diagnosed with Parkinson’s, a
disease caused by the death of brain cells that produce dopamine, a key nerve
chemical. When patients lose about 80 percent of these cells, they develop
the classic Parkinson’s symptoms: tremors and rigidity.
Parkinson’s can be treated with L-dopa, a drug that makes dopamine in
the brain. But L-dopa is effective for only a short time and after that the
disease progresses.
Limited experiments using brain cells from aborted fetuses have
stabilized patients for up to 12 years, Isacson said. The transplanted cells
convert to dopamine-producing cells, replacing those lacking in patients with
Parkinson’s.
But using tissue from aborted fetuses in research also is opposed by
many groups. And because of limited availability and for technical reasons,
fetal tissue is not considered ideal for treating Parkinson’s.
The best hope, said the researchers, are the embryonic stem cells.
These are master cells that can be coaxed to transform into virtually any
type of tissue in the body.
Embryonic stem cells can be grown in great numbers, making them
readily available for treating thousands of patients, the researchers said.
“You can generate embryonic stem cells with huge efficiencies,” said
McKay.
McKay said his lab has found ways to cause mouse embryonic stem cells
to change into the dopamine-producing cells lacking in Parkinson’s.
“We can take the embryonic stem cells through a series of transitions
until they become the dopamine cells,” said McKay.
Isacson said his lab injects into the brain specific cells extracted
from the embryo and that a natural process in the brain then transforms them
into dopamine producers.
“The cells organize themselves to become very functional,” he said.
“We see the cells behaving in a way to reverse the symptoms (of Parkinson’s)
in the mouse and rat.”
© 2001 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be
published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
