Forwarded from PAN and CAMR:
"Today the U.S. House passed Rep. Dave Weldon's (R-FL)Bill which bans all
forms of human cloning. While PAN is terribly disappointed by this
action,
we have strong Senate support for therapeutic cloning and the assurance
from
our friends there that the Weldon bill will not pass the Senate this
year.
Attached, please find a statement from the Coalition for the Advancement
of
Medical Research (CAMR), of which we are a member, expressing our
disappointment with the House vote."
Laura Jane Cohen
Outreach Coordinator
Parkinson's Action Network
1000 Vermont Avenue, NW
Suite 900
Washington, DC 20005
p: 202-842-4101
800-850-4726
f: 202-842-4105
website: www.parkinsonsaction.org
Coalition for the Advancement of Medical Research
For more information contact:
Julie Kimbrough, 212-585-3501
Patient and Medical Research Groups Express Disappointment With House
Vote
To Ban Therapeutic Cloning
Passage of Weldon Cloning Bill Denies Hope to Millions of Americans With
Disease
Washington, DC—February 27, 2003—After a House vote on whether or not to
ban
all forms of human cloning, the Coalition for the Advancement of Medical
Research (CAMR) expressed its strong disappointment in the passage of a
bill
which prohibits the use of therapeutic cloning to help cure disease, and
will make passage of a reproductive cloning ban by the full Congress
impossible this year. CAMR, comprised of the nation’s leading patient
groups, universities, and scientific societies, has led the charge to
support federal funding for embryonic stem cell research and to oppose a
ban
on therapeutic cloning (more accurately called somatic cell nuclear
transfer).
“Not only have the hardline opponents of scientific and medical research
turned their backs on patients today, their vote will also keep the U.S.
Congress from enacting a full ban on human reproductive cloning,” said
Michael Manganiello, President of CAMR. “The overwhelming majority of
the
U.S. public and Members of Congress want to see a ban on reproductive
cloning. But by insisting on banning all cloning, including the
promising
new field of therapeutic, the net result will be no ban on reproductive
at
all. We are grateful that we have such staunch support in the Senate to
ensure that no bill banning promising research like therapeutic cloning
will
pass,” he added.
“No avenues of research should be slammed shut to my daughter and
millions
of other children and adults suffering daily like her. My daughter is
battling a horrific life-sentence and deserves every chance at a normal
life,” said Monica Coenraads, whose six-year-old child Chelsea is
afflicted
with Rett Syndrome—a disorder which robs children of communication and
motor
skills and renders them completely dependent on others for every basic
need.
“I am so thankful to the Members of Congress who stood up for my
daughter,
and countless others like her, today. Nearly every family in America has
a
loved one affected by some condition that could be helped through
advances
in medical research,” she added.
“Throughout history politicians have attempted to prohibit medical
advances,
whether it’s organ donation, IVF, or the use of recombinant DNA.
Fortunately, sounder minds prevailed and all of these procedures are
available to us today, helping millions of patients worldwide,” said
Manganiello. “We are very appreciative of those House Members who fought
hard against the Weldon bill today—the more we met with Members and
educated
them about the promise this field holds for curing disease, the more
support
we gained. If we would have had more time, I know we would have
solidified
more votes in our favor,” added Manganiello.
-----more-----
Patient and Medical Research Groups Express Disappointment With House
Vote
To Ban Therapeutic Cloning, page 2
Therapeutic cloning research has the support of both leading Democrats
and
Republicans including former Presidents Ford and Carter as well as former
First Lady Nancy Reagan. Leading medical scientists, including the
National
Academy of Sciences and 40 Nobel Laureates, major patient advocacy
organizations, the American public, and many religious leaders agree that
therapeutic cloning could lead to dramatic new treatments and cures for
now-incurable diseases and should be pursued.
Therapeutic cloning (somatic cell nuclear transfer) is about saving and
improving lives. It is fundamentally different from human reproductive
cloning; it produces stem cells, not babies. In somatic cell nuclear
transfer, the nucleus of a donor’s unfertilized egg is removed and
replaced
with the nucleus of a patient’s own cells, like a skin, heart, or nerve
cell. These types of cells are called somatic cells. The goal is to
develop
stem cells that will not be rejected or destroyed by the patient’s immune
system. No sperm is used in this procedure. The cells are not
transplanted into a womb. The unfertilized egg cells are stored in a
petri
dish to become a source of stem cells that can be used to treat
life-threatening medical conditions. Somatic cell nuclear transfer aims
to
treat or cure patients by creating tailor-made, genetically identical
cells
that their bodies won’t reject. In other words, somatic cell nuclear
transfer could allow patients with diseases and conditions like cancer,
diabetes, ALS, Parkinson’s, spinal cord injuries and many more to be
cured
using their own DNA.
The Coalition for the Advancement of Medical Research (CAMR), is
comprised
of nationally-recognized patient organizations, universities, scientific
societies, foundations, and individuals with life-threatening illnesses
and
disorders, advocating for the advancement of breakthrough research and
technologies in regenerative medicine - including stem cell research and
somatic cell nuclear transfer - in order to cure disease and alleviate
suffering. For more information on CAMR, visit the website:
www.camradvocacy.org.
#####
----------------------------------------------------------------------
To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask]
In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn
