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The source of this article is KING5: http://tinyurl.com/6v9zz Parkinson's patient sets hopes on stem cell research 05:56 AM PDT on Tuesday, October 12, 2004 By DEBORAH FELDMAN / KING 5 News ISSAQUAH, Wash. – Perhaps Christopher Reeve's most crucial role was the one he played as an outspoken advocate and fundraiser for stem cell research. But long before such research mushroomed into a major political issue, work on stem cells was already underway in Western Washington. Dennis Wright was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease 12 years ago. Even though he takes 18 pills a day, his hands still have the shakes associated with Parkinson's, but he says his body is at its worst in the morning. "My movements are real slow. I'm apt to fall over because my legs don't move as I'm walking forward. And, along with slowness of movement, my mind is a bit slower than it formerly was," he said. Parkinson's forced Dennis to give up his career as a computer programmer several years ago and now he devotes some of his energy to outreach about stem cell research. In that regard, he's somewhat lucky as Seattle has been home to some of that research for about 30 years. Research used to revolve around adult stem cells. But now, the developing frontier of embryonic stem cell research is underway in a University of Washington laboratory. This type of research is controversial because it uses the cells of a five-day-old human embryo. But it is believed to hold the answers to a myriad of ailments. Dr. Tony Blau says the embryo cells hold much more promise than those of adult cells because of inherent biological qualities. "Human embryonic stem cells can form any tissue and can be expanded to very large numbers. Another very important aspect of human embryonics in stem cells is that they can be standardized," he explained. While many are ethically opposed to embryonic stem cell research, Dennis believes his right to a healthy life should be considered as much as that of an in-vitro embryo that would likely never be born. He credits Christopher Reeve for being among the first high-profile advocates. "It's been very important that he was as active as he was in promoting this science," he said. And, he says, as long as it continues, the research gives him hope for a future brighter than the one he faces now. "Right now they just treat my symptoms as best they can and I live with the fluctuations during the day. Here we're looking at a replacement for cells that have died in my brain and that will resume where I've been left behind," he said. Dr. Blau says there are about 22 embroys whose cells are currently being used for this type of research. But, he says, they are older embryos and new lines must be developed for the science to truly progress. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn