Hello list/Murray:
I got your attention.
I became very excited when I became aware of this technique.
I have been keeping quiet but, could no longer
contain myself. The Conservatives that use
the rhetoric saying the "destruction" of an embryo
is necessary to obtain stem cells is false.
PGD may be more difficult, but, the blastomere
is not destroyed and that is documented.
A Conservative Web site with information about PGD
says that the technique affects embryos negatively six percent
of the time. I think it would the similar to the
micromanipulation used with in vitro fertilization.
So, others know of this technique.
It puzzles me greatly that PGD has not come to the
attention of the advisers to the President.
I have written Senator Wellstone (Dem.) of Minnesota.
He lost his father to Parkinsons.
He supports stem cell research.
I have been absent from the list
for several days because of the serious health problems
of my mother and her subsequent hospitalization.
Soon, I will have to go again.
Please continue to research the technique and get the word out.
Ray
...............................................
Murray Charters wrote:
>
> Hi All,
> Ray Strand says the embryo's don't have to be destroyed.
>
> He says cells can be extracted using "Preimplantation Genetic
> Diagnosis". He should know. He worked in the labs.
>
> Does this mean cell lines could be generated without the
> destruction of an embryo???
>
> WITHOUT THE DESTRUCTION OF A SINGLE EMBRYO???
yes
>
> I did a SEARCH in GOOGLE...
> http://www.google.com/
>
> I'm a mechanic... Could a professional offer an opinion in support
> or opposition to this supposition please.
>
for those were who likes the technical challenge
can search Pub Med on the terms
"Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis"
and download and read the 355 abstracts.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/PubMed/
Yesterday I wrote to the email addresses that were included
with the 355 abstracts I downloaded about PGD.
There were 96. Many were not current. A few have reponded.
I may be able to start a dialogue about some questins I have.
I need to get to the library for ordering some of the papers.
I get the impression that it is a delicate procedure
and they are the specialists.
However, I saw micromanipulation of cells in the early 80's
and the technology has improved since then.
Dissociation of an entire embryo for tissue culture
is easier technically, but, destroys the embryo.
PGD is more like surgery, removing a single cell for examination.
With new techniques the cell
may not even be cultured but examined directly.
The technique has been developed over the past ten years.
There are just a handful of labs that do the procedure.
But, once the stem cell has been obtained, it can be
multiplied many fold in culture.
some centers that offer PGD:
California: The Reproductive Specialty Center in Newport Beach, CA. See:
http://www.drary.com/pgd.htm
Florida: The Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of
Florida, at:
http://www.med.ufl.edu/obgyn/pgd/
Illinois: Reproductive Genetics Institute in Chicago, IL. See:
http://www.reproductivegenetics.com/index.shtml
Oregon: Oregon Health Sciences University fertility program at:
http://www.kowhai.com/~kowhai/oregon/lab
> Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis
> Frequently Asked Questions
> http://www.givf.com/preimplan_diag.html
>
> Medical Policy Manual Topic: Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis
> http://www.regence.com/trgmedpol/maternity/mat11.html
>
> Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis (PGD)
> By Lawrence B. Werlin, M.D.
> Coastal Fertility Medical Center
> Preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) is a genetic-testing tool
> that allows for the detection of abnormalities in 3-day-old embryos
> via DNA probes. Such abnormalities are a principal cause
> of unsuccessful In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) attempts.
> The procedure is so new that fewer than 300 babies have been born
> through PGD in the United States to date.
and, it must be expensive.
> PGD enables Reproductive Endocrinologists to assess the
> chromosomal makeup of an embryo before implantation in the womb.
> The procedure is targeted to older women, women who have had
> two or more unsuccessful IVF attempts, women with recurrent
> pregnancy loss, and couples where the husband has severe
> male factor fertility issues.
>
> Studies indicate that 50 percent of the embryos of women
> suffering from recurrent pregnancy loss have genetic abnormalities.
> Coastal Fertility Medical Center will use PGD specifically
> as a genetic-testing tool for revealing these abnormalities related
> to unsuccessful outcome.
>
> PGD also offers widespread potential for detecting genetic defects
> and identifying such fatal diseases as Sickle Cell Anemia,
> or Hemophilia. For parents with genetic predisposition
> to chromosonal disease, it offers a greater likelihood
> for the possibility of delivering healthy babies. Up to this point,
> Chorionic Villus Sampling and Amniocentesis have been used
> to document chromosomal abnormalities, but those events occur
> after the pregnancy has been achieved.
>
> Down the road, PGD has the far-reaching capability of becoming
> a critical link between fertility and other areas of genetic research.
> Research has already begun using embryonic cells to replace
> damaged adult cells found in individuals with previously
> irreversible medical conditions such as Parkinson's disease.
>
> Dr. Lawrence B. Werlin is Medical Director
> of Coastal Fertility Medical Center, located at
> 4900 Barranca Pkwy, Suite 103, Irvine Ca 92604.
> You may phone him at (949) 726-0600,
> or visit their website at http://www.coastalfertility.com
>
> http://infertility.about.com/library/ifctr/blpgd.htm
>
> Does anyone know Dr. Lawrence B. Werlin??
>
> Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis
> http://dir.yahoo.com/Health/Reproductive_Health/Preimplantation_Genetic_Diagnosis/
>
> First Unaffected Pregnancy Using Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis
> for Sickle Cell Anemia
> http://www.ama-assn.org/special/womh/library/readroom/vol_281c/joc81498.htm
>
> Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis
> http://www.havingbabies.com/news/42_141_415.CFM
>
> Fertility Center of New England Announces World's First
> Published Report Of A Birth From A Cryopreserved Embryo
> Analyzed By Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis
> http://www.fertilitycenter.com/Services/pdg.htm
>
> * * *
Ray Strand
Prairie Sky Design
-----------------( on the Edge of the Prairie Abyss )---------------
when the sky is clear
the ground is visible
49/dx 47/40? onset
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