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Press release : NYS Sen. Nick Spano Tuesday, March 1, 2005 Senator Nick Spano (R,C,I - Westchester) today announced that he will introduce legislation in the New York State Senate that would permit stem cell research and provide $100 million annually in public money to fund the research. The bill will also strictly prohibit any research related to cloning. More than one half of New York’s families have a child or adult who has suffered or will suffer from a serious, and often critical or terminal condition that could potentially be treated or cured with stem cell therapies, according to the New Yorkers for the Advancement of Medical Research (NYAMR). Senator Spano made an official announcement that he will carry this legislation at their Lobby Day earlier today. "Human stem cell research offers immense promise for developing new treatment and prevention methods for these debilitating diseases, and may help answer other questions of medicine and biology, such as why many pregnancies are miscarried and why some women cannot become pregnant, and where and when birth defects originate and how to prevent them," Senator Spano said. "My record speaks for itself -- I support research to help people who may be suffering from disease or illness." Stem cells are cells that have the remarkable potential to develop into many different cell types in the body. Serving as a sort of repair system for the body, they can theoretically divide without limit to replenish other cells for as long as the person or animal is still alive. When a stem cell divides, each "daughter" cell has the potential to either remain a stem cell or become another type of cell with a more specialized function, such as a muscle cell, a red blood cell, or a brain cell. Senator Spano noted that an estimated 128 million Americans suffer from cancer, Alzheimer's, diabetes, Parkinson's, spinal cord injuries, heart disease, ALS, and other devastating conditions for which treatments must still be found. Stem cell research could hold the key to ending these patients' suffering. "Given the current fiscal situation in the State of New York, it is unrealistic to commit $3 billion to stem cell research like California has," Senator Spano said. "However, we must commit serious funding similar to what California, New Jersey and Connecticut are doing to attract and retain the best possible medical scientists in the country." Specifically, the legislation that Senator Spano will introduce will: - Permit stem cell research in the State of New York. - Earmark $100 million annually of public money to fund the research. - Strictly prohibit cloning of any type. Stem cells from human embryos can form all types of cells, and the hope is that they one day could be used to replace cells damaged from such conditions as diabetes, spinal cord injury or Parkinson's disease. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn