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# 297 Wednesday, February 21, 2007 -IOWA STEM CELL EMERGENCY: Tonight! There will be a public meeting TONIGHT (Wednesday, February 21st) in the Iowa State Capitol, for input on a vital stem cell research bill. "Our liberties we prize and our rights we will maintain" is the official motto of the Hawkeye State, and Iowa is living up to its spirit: with a new law to restore scientific liberty and to preserve every family's right to the best medical treatment available. If you live in Iowa, or know someone who does, right now is the time to stand up and be counted. (Even out-of-staters like myself can also send a quick email of support: read on, it is so easy.) The bill is called the Iowa Stem Cell Research and Cures Initiative (House File287), formerly SF 162.* According to a news report: "A bill that would ease state restrictions on stem cell research has cleared an Iowa House committee on a party-line vote. The bill is likely to be debated soon by the full House. But first, there will be a public hearing.scheduled for seven to ten (TONIGHT-dr) in the House Chamber."--KTIV-TV, Sioux City, Iowa, February 20, 2007. Any Iowan (outsiders as well) wishing to provide input may do so in two ways: One: with a personal appearance before the committee. Call the Iowa Legislative Information Office (515) 281-5129. They will put you on the list. Drive to the Capitol and speak. (I called myself, and they are friendly folks.) Two: send an email to the committee chair, addressed to: [log in to unmask] I will be doing that personally. I would like to extend appreciation to the Coalition for the Advancement of Medical Research's Legislative Consultant, Kimberly Love, for timely notification. Once again, our flagship organization-our group of groups-- gets the word out! The original notice I received (on Friday, sorry not to get it to you sooner!) reads as following: Dear Iowa CAMR Members, We have learned the Iowa legislature is in the midst of considering legislation that would reverse the state's current ban on therapeutic cloning, also known as somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT). As you know, SCNT research could lead to cures and treatments for many devastating diseases and conditions. The current ban in Iowa stifles research. The legislation to reverse the ban on SCNT is called the Iowa Stem Cell Research and Cures Initiative (SF 162). If it were to pass and become law, it would allow for scientists in Iowa to participate in this field of exciting and promising regenerative research. CAMR supports this bill. The State Senate passed the Iowa Stem Cell Research and Cures Initiative (SF162) last week. Now, the State House is preparing to take up the bill and Iowa State Representatives need to hear from pro research and pro SCNT constituents. Please contact your State Representative with the following message: "I strongly support SF162, the Iowa Stem Cell Research and Cures Initiative and I urge you to vote for this legislation." I suggest including the above sentence, and also a personal paragraph about the condition which inspires you to care about research for cure: for me that would be my son Roman's paralysis. Want to know a little more about the SCNT referred to? SCNT research is supported by the American Medical Association (AMA), the National Academy of Sciences, the Association of American Universities, many communitities of faith and national women's rights groups, Nancy Reagan, Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, the late Christopher Reeve, Michael J. Fox, more than 40 Nobel laureates, the Coalition for the Advancement of Medical Research (representing more than 80 patient's rights and disease advocacy groups)-- and every major medical, scientific, and educational group which has taken a position on the issue. Briefly, from my non-scientist's perspective. Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer (SCNT), sometimes called therapeutic cloning, is a way to make stem cells that fit the patient, or the disease being studied. It is as different from reproductive cloning (cloning to make children as was done with Dolly the sheep) as lightning is different from the light bulb. One is dangerous; the other brings light to darkness. Reproductive cloning to make children is something we can all be against. To the best of my knowledge, it has never been tried with humans, and never should be. No responsible scientist I know supports this dangerous fantasy. In California, attempting reproductive cloning is forbidden by law, and that prohibition is written into our state's constitution. SCNT, however, is as potentially positive as the other is negative. Imagine growing new cells for a damaged heart, to heal the patient from within-or to restore sight to the blind, hearing to the deaf, or motion to the paralyzed. Here is how it may work. A Q-tip is scraped across the inside of the patient's cheek. That yields a skin cell, which is added to one egg like a woman loses every month. This bit of tissue is set in a dish of salt water, shocked with electricity and left to sit for five to seven days. Then it is taken apart and the stem cells removed. The stem cells could then be encouraged to become whatever is needed. To study Parkinson's, for example, it might be most useful to first make cells that track the stages of the disease, so it could be studied in a Petri dish, instead of a patient. For my paralyzed son Roman, it might be the cells to grow new nerves in a damaged spine. It is also important to know what SCNT is not. Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer involves no sperm, no implantation in the womb, no womb, and absolutely no child. Without implantation in the womb, there is no possibility of human birth. Without a mother's nurturing womb, there can be no baby. Cells, cells, nothing but cells-SCNT research is nothing but cells. Here are some useful quotes about SCNT, sometimes called therapeutic cloning: FORMER PRESIDENT JIMMY CARTER'S OPINION . "One of the great scientific accomplishments of our time, therapeutic cloning or nuclear transplantation, (SCNT-dr) presents promising new opportunities for the treatment of many serious illnesses and injuries that have long plagued the world. These include heart disease, Parkinson's, and spinal cord injury just to name a few. "Though I fully support banning reproductive cloning, I strongly oppose any restrictions on therapeutic cloning." (emphasis added-dr) Sincerely, Jimmy Carter THE LATE FORMER PRESIDENT GERALD FORD'S OPINION "Therapeutic cloning or nuclear transplantation may have enormous potential for the treatment of heart disease, diabetes, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's, spinal cord injury and a vast array of other disease and injuries. Unlike reproductive cloning, this approach will never produce a cloned human being. But it could result in the development of life-saving therapies that could improve the well-being of all Americans. "During my tenure as President, concerns were raised regarding research involving recombinant DNA. After careful thought, safeguards were put in place to ensure close monitoring of the research. Allowing recombinant DNA research to proceed produced significant advances in the prevention and treatment of diseases and illnesses that affect millions of Americans including vaccines, insulin for diabetics and treatments for AIDS and cancer. "I strongly urge you to use the recombinant DNA model as a precedent, and allow research conducted for therapeutic purposes to proceed. "I reiterate my opposition to reproductive cloning and my full support for therapeutic cloning which is so vital to scientific research for the treatment of many serious diseases and injuries. My very best wishes, Gerald Ford FORMER FIRST LADY NANCY REAGAN'S OPINION Office of Nancy Reagan, open letter to Orrin Hatch "I'm writing. to offer my support for stem cell research and to tell you I'm in favor of new legislation to allow the ethical use of therapeutic cloning. I support a complete ban on reproductive cloning. However, I believe that embryonic stem cell research, under appropriate guidelines, may provide scientists with many answers that are now beyond our grasp. "There are so many diseases that can be cured or at least helped, that we can't turn out back on this. We've lost so much time already. I can't bear to lose any more. Sincerely, Nancy Reagan IN CASE THE OPPOSITION TALKS ABOUT "ALTERNATIVES". "SUBSTITUTES" FOR EMBRYONIC STEM CELLS? A White House document, "Advancing Stem Cell Science Without Destroying Human Life" claims new methods of making stem cells render embryonic stem cells obsolete. The simple truth? There are no substitutes. While amniotic fluid, adult stem cells, reprogramming of cells, and other alternate research certainly deserves study, no credible expert supports using them as a replacement for embryonic stem cells. Listen to the experts: Dr. Anthony Atala, lead researcher for the headline-making amniotic fluid study: "Some may be interpreting my research as a substitute for.embryonic stem cells. I disagree with that..." Atala went on to say that it is "essential that National Institutes of Health-funded researchers are able to fully pursue embryonic stem cell research."AP, 1/9/07 Drs. Kevin Eggan, Chad Cowan, and Douglas Melton, whose work on reprogramming cells was cited in the White House document: "We are disappointed that the White House Office of Domestic Policy gave us no opportunity to correct the report's clear misrepresentation of our work. (which was) used to support arguments that research involving human embryonic stem cells is unnecessary. The overwhelming consensus in the scientific and medical community is that embryonic stem cell research holds the greatest potential to cure disease and end the suffering of millions." Dr. George Daley, Harvard stem cell expert, "Amniotic cells ARE NOT embryonic stem cells. (They are) just the latest in a long list of stem cells.that do not replace embryonic stem cells." quoted in CAMR document, 1/9/07 Lawrence S.B. Goldstein, Ph.D., Investigator, Howard Hughes Medical Institute. "Although this paper (on amniotic stem cells) is interesting, I am not convinced that the amniotic stem cells are pluripotent. More work is needed to verify and validate these findings. For my work on human neurons, the amniotic stem cells don't appear to make neurons as usable as what we routinely make with human embryonic stem cells." Sean J. Morrison, Ph.D, Director, University of Michigan Center for Stem Cell Biology: ".the claim that these cells are equivalent to (embryonic) hES cells is inconsistent with the data.We need research to go forward now with hES cells.." Robert E. Palazzo, Ph.D, Director, Center for Biotechnology, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute: "Tactics to distract from fundamental research by offering the possibility of promise for cures from alternative approaches should be discouraged. Sean Tipton, President of the Coalition for the Advancement of Medical Research (CAMR): "Embryonic stem cell research opponents selectively and irresponsibly tout individual studies when it's politically convenient.We need a federal policy change on embryonic stem cell research.passing the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act.." SEND YOUR EMAIL! [log in to unmask] By Don Reed www.stemcellbattles.com ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn