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Ray I sense a 'deep' depression... Don't ever give up gal!! Your efforts are globally applauded :-)) Regards, Nic 57/15 On Tue, Mar 10, 2009 at 9:26 PM, rayilynlee <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > The fight is not over; it has just begun. > and I'm very tired. > > Ray > > Susan L. Solomon > CEO, The New York Stem Cell Foundation > Posted March 9, 2009 | 11:37 AM (EST) > > For the last eight years, human embryonic stem cell research -- which is > improving our understanding of how we can treat and defeat diseases such as > Parkinson's and diabetes -- has been a hostage of presidential politics. > Monday's executive order by President Barack Obama changes that, lifting > many restrictions on federal funding for research on new stem cell lines > derived from human embryos. Unfortunately, this stroke of the pen does not > remove key legislative hurdles that will continue to prevent federal dollars > from being spent on this critical science. > Stem cell research represents the most revolutionary area of medical > research today, opening possibilities for treating cancer, diabetes, Lou > Gehrig's disease, blindness and paralysis. The previous administration's ban > cost researchers precious time in the race for new cures, treatments and > discoveries. TIME magazine recently cited a New York Stem Cell > Foundation-funded breakthrough by Dr. Kevin Eggan as the most significant > scientific achievement in 2008. Because of the ban on federal funding, this > groundbreaking work was only possible through the generosity of private > donors. > > President Obama's symbolic decision to address this transforming medical > issue will ultimately give laboratories nationwide new resources to change > lives. But while the new administration brings a refreshingly friendly > attitude toward science, in general, and stem cell research in particular, > researchers will still lack easy access to the full range of possibilities > that stem cells present. > Significant obstacles remain in the path of stem cell research progress. > The president possesses unilateral authority only to allow federal funding > of research on new and existing embryonic stem cell lines -- he cannot > single-handedly green-light federal funding to create the stem cell lines > themselves. That's because Congress in 1996 banned the use of human embryos, > even those discarded in fertility clinics or voluntarily made for scientific > purposes, for research purposes -- including the creation of embryonic stem > cells. That piece of legislation, the so-called Dickey-Wicker Amendment, is > inextricably linked to abortion politics, and is unlikely to be removed from > the books in the near future. > > It is crucial to our ultimate success to allow wide access to all of the > stem cell lines that have already been created from embryos, as well as to > continue to create new lines for comparative and other purposes, including > the research that can only be done with human embryonic stem cells. > Researchers throughout the world feel that the new "induced pluripotentiary > stem cells" (iPS for short) are powerful tools for scientists studying the > mechanisms of human disease in their laboratories. However, scientists agree > that human embryonic stem cells remain the "gold standard" of research, > making the production of new stem cells of urgent importance. > Private funding sources like NYSCF, which are by nature far more nimble > than government agencies, are still essential to advancing stem cell > research. Private philanthropy is, and will continue to be, a critical and > necessary driver of the most innovative and promising stem cell science. > We cannot continue to ask our best scientists to work with one hand tied > behind their backs. Finding better treatments and cures for these terrible > diseases is urgent work. The New York Stem Cell Foundation will continue to > use private philanthropy to ensure that scientists are able to perform the > experiments that simply wouldn't be funded or initiated elsewhere, which > will continue to change the way scientists and the public view what is > possible in this burgeoning medical area. And we hope that Congress will act > quickly, once and for all, to put patients before politics by putting > science first. > > Rayilyn Brown > Director AZNPF > Arizona Chapter National Parkinson Foundation > [log in to unmask] > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > 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