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LOS ANGELES To Spend 350 Million US Dollars On Stem Cell Research 2004-08-19 00:19:21 LOS ANGELES, Aug. 18(Xinhuanet)-- The US second largest city of Los Angeles endorsed an ambitious plan Wednesday to spend 350 million US dollars on stem cell research. Mayor Jim Hahn and the City Council endorsed the Nov. 2 ballot initiative to finance the research in California through low-interest and tax-free bonds. Medical experts said that the California Stem Cell Research andCures Initiative could lead to new treatments or cures for such diseases as diabetes, Alzheimer's, cancer, Parkinson's, HIV/AIDS, multiple sclerosis and spinal cord injuries. However, some others raised ethical concerns over using stem cells from human embryos. Following the testimony of several members of the public, council member Alex Padilla said one of the reasons he supports stem cell research is that his mother is a diabetes patient. "I see her pain. I see her discomfort," he said."I dream of the day when she doesn't have those pains, those ailments in her life." Hahn said more than 128 million Americans have diseases or injuries that could be cured by stem cell research. He said the initiative will provide the much-needed fund to make the promise of new cures and treatments a reality. That will not only save lives, but also reduce health care costs in the longterm to boost local economy, especially in the biotech and medicalresearch areas, he added. Meanwhile, mayors of San Francisco, San Jose, Irvine, Santa Ana,West Hollywood and Sausalito announced their support for the initiative. SOURCE: Xinhuanet / SINA.com, Aug 19, 2004 http://content.sina.com/news/92/32/6923212_1_gb.html?skin=englishCenter * * * ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn