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From time to time I look myself up on the Web and was surprised to find answers to one of my letters of almost a year ago (these are sites given me by Diane) which indicated that an unknown percentage of people think PD is just aging and we are trying to defeat death by supporting ESCR. One guy suggested cryogenics. I can't seem to make the point that it is THIS LIFE THAT IS SO HARD TO LIVE and alone too. People seem to think you just get sick and die soon. They don't seem to understand that some diseases steal your life while you are alive and it is not all just old people. Perhaps this is the common ground we can find between supporters and non-supporters of ESCR. Unless you have an incurable disease, care for someone who does, it is almost impossible to understand. Guy who did my taxes thinks I need to relax more so I can talk and his wife has MS which is episodic. and she has had only one episode. Public ignorance perhaps needs to be addressed first before we can realize any progress. The only thing people seem to know is "that actor" MJFox It is very disheartening as I know people have been trying to raise public awareness for years. The well need to walk in our shoes. Ray ----- Original Message ----- From: "nina p. brown" <[log in to unmask]> To: <[log in to unmask]> Sent: Wednesday, March 16, 2005 12:18 AM Subject: Cure for Parkinson's disease in three years: > Cure for Parkinson's disease in three years: > [Health News]: London, March 14 : > A safe treatment for Parkinson's disease could be available in as little > as three years, thanks > to new research in stem cell therapy. > > Scientists at Scotland's Roslin Institute have managed for the first > time to culture stem cells - > which can differentiate themselves into any kind of human cell - without > using animal-derived > products, the daily Scotsman reported. > > Earlier, research had demonstrated that stem cells from pigs could help > reverse symptoms of > Parkinson's disease when implanted in a sufferer's brain. > > However, this carries the risk of the patient developing a deadly new > cross-species disease which > has potentially devastating consequences - for example, vCJD, which is a > fatal new condition > originating in animals. > > Previously, human stem cells - usually derived from embryos, angering > the pro-life lobby - have > been grown in a culture of animal tissue, also risking cross-species > contamination. > > But Roslin scientists, led by Paul De Sousa, have managed to culture > stem cells from donated > embryos - which, in this case, are the "surplus" from fertility > treatment - in a medium derived from > human tissue, the first time this has been done in the world. > > They are now looking to create a way of mass-producing stem cells, as > millions are required to > repair damage to the brain. > > De Sousa said he believed that, in three to five years, following > further research in animals, it > should be possible to start implanting human stem cells in patients > affected by Parkinson's disease. > > > He said: "We are still away - it's one thing to produce the cells. Now > myself and other groups > need to be efficiently producing the types of cells in the culture dish > that are useful for > treatment. > > "We've got to walk before we can run. We're talking another three to > five years before we could > be at the point where we have enough pre-clinical animal model data to > have some confidence in the > cells we can put into people." > > Producing stem cells without using any animal-derived tissue is a > crucial step because it > prevents the possibility of cross-species disease. > > "If stem cells are ever going to be useful for people, we have got to > find a way to produce them > safely and efficiently," De Sousa said. > > "For the most part, the state of the field as it had stood was that > there was a reliance on > either animal cells or products from animal tissues. > > "We have isolated four (cell lines) to date and one of these four has > been isolated in a > completely different media - a coating of a human protein, normally found > on the outside of cells > that helps cells stick together. > > "There is no direct exposure to animal cells or to animal tissue-derived > products such as serum." > > > Pro-life groups have condemned the use of embryos to provide stem cells > and have claimed adult > stem cells, such as those found in bone marrow, could be used instead. > > De Sousa said research into the use of adult stem cells - which would > mean the patient's own > tissue could be used, avoiding immune system problems - should continue. > > However, given the current level of knowledge, he felt embryonic stem > cells were more effective. > > Last month, another Roslin scientist, Professor Ian Wilmut, who created > Dolly the Sheep, was > granted a licence to clone human embryos to help further stem cell > research. It is thought this > could lead to cures for diabetes, quadriplegia and blindness, as well as > Parkinson's and other > conditions. > > Robert Meadowcroft, head of policy and information at the Parkinson's > Disease Society, said the > work at Roslin would hasten the use of stem cell treatment - either as a > cure or a therapy - in > human patients. > > "This looks like being a very important piece of work that will > potentially shorten the period of > time to clinical trials in patients and we very much welcome this > research," Meadowcroft said. > > Indo-Asian News Service > > > Nina > "Circumstances determine our lives, but we shape > our lives by what we make of our circumstances." > Sir John Wheeler Bennett, a British historian > > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: > mailto:[log in to unmask] > In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn