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Hi, (this is taken from a letter to SPRING members by Charles Holme, SPRING Chairman. I've re-worded it to make it suitable for people other than SPRING members. SPRING's web site ht http://spring.parkinsons.org.uk/) You may know that letters from Parkinson's sufferers was crucial in persuading the UK's Parliament to approve Stem Cell research into serious diseases such as PD. Members of the European Parliament will be voting on 14th November on the Fiori Report - voting for the report would signal disapproval for Stem Cell research such as that approved in the UK. It is important that people in Europe email their MEPs to ensure that they are fully aware of the implications and views of those with Pd. This is crucial as there is considerable opposition to both Embryonic Stem cell research and Cell Nucleus Replacement. It is important that this e-mail comes from you as an individual and that it arrives before the vote on the 14th. It should be about how Parkinson?s has affected your life - What has changed? How has PD affected you and your family? Here are some points to consider when writing: - You should make it clear that no one supports reproductive cloning _ Embryo research should be permitted but in a strictly regulated environment - The potential for medicine in general and Pd in particular is tremendous - Parkinson?s is progressive ? time is not on our side ? any ban which delays a cure or the delivery of improved treatments is NOT acceptable - Ask them to vote against the Fiori Report There are several MEPS for each region of the country and you may contact any one of them or ideally all of them in your region. You can reach your MEPs by going to: http://www.europarl.org.uk/uk_meps/MembersMain.htm and clicking on your region. Note: They will be in their constituencies until Monday and then they go to Strasbourg. (You ma be able to reach them after that by using this e-mail format [log in to unmask]) Further points for consideration (some of which is UK specific, but may be useful): - MEPs are voting on the Fiori Report on 14th November. Its approval would signal European disapproval for areas of research now permitted in the UK under the new HFE (Research Purposes) Regulations 2001. - People with Pd campaigned long and hard for this new legislation, which allows human embryonic stem cells to be used in the development of therapies for serious diseases such as Pd. - The Regulations had a massive mandate from the people via their MPs (336 votes for 174 against) and were approved overwhelmingly in the House of Lords. A great many people in the UK would not wish to see the Fiori Report approved. - We believe that ES cell research should proceed within the strict framework defined by the new Regulations and implemented by the HFEA. - Safeguards built into the legislation will ensure that human embryos are used in research only where there are no other alternatives. - We fully support the call for a total ban on reproductive cloning, i.e. the cloning of embryos to produce babies. - We do however support therapeutic cloning or cell nucleus replacement (CNR) where the aim is to find new ways of addressing rejection problems (CNR provides the means to a possible source of autologous or self-derived stem cells). - Stem cells for research will be isolated from the pre-implantation embryo or blastocyst at 6 to 8 days. At this time the inner cell-mass which goes on to form the foetus comprises 100 or so totally unspecialised cells. It has no form whatsoever, there are no heart cells, no neurons, it has no sentience and can feel no pain. It could go on to form one or more embryos and many people hold the view that individuality has not yet been established. - Most ES cells used in research would be surplus to IVF and these would in any case be destroyed. We believe that their use in the development of therapies that could benefit so many is wholly justified. - Despite rapid and exciting advances in adult stem cell research, they are not the cure all and in many cases little is known of their capacity for survival, growth or their ability to generate useful cell types. This is particularly true in the context of degenerative neurological disorders. - The consensus of scientific opinion remains that both adult and ES cell research should proceed as rapidly as possible. If we are to fully exploit adult stem cells, reprogram adult cells to behave like ES cells or stimulate our own (neural) stem cells in vivo we need to know the full sequence of signals (molecular and genetic) that control the direction of cell development. For this we need embryonic stem cell research. - Understanding these mechanisms may also help elucidate underlying disease pathologies and this could ultimately lead to prevention and cure rather than repair. - There are around 120,000 people in the UK with Pd (1 in 7 of these is under the age of 50), but many other disorders also stand to benefit (Huntingdon?s, Alzheimer?s, Friedreich?s Ataxia, MS, motor neurone disease, spinal injuries to name just a few). Simon --------- My opinions are my own, NIP's opinions are theirs ---------- Simon J. Coles Email: [log in to unmask] New Information Paradigms Work Phone: +44 1344 753703 http://www.nipltd.com/ Work Fax: +44 1344 753742 =============== Life is too precious to take seriously =============== ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn