Doctors Send Letter to Educate Congress on Adult Stem Cells

[Murray Charters <mcharters@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Doctors Send Letter to Educate Congress on Adult Stem Cells
by Steve Jordahl, correspondent

August 2, 2004

Effort by the Christian Medical Association aims at setting the record straight.

More than 2,000 doctors have signed a letter asking lawmakers to educate
themselves about the benefits of research using adult stem-cells.

The letter, sent by the Christian Medical Association (CMA), points out that the
quickest and most economical path to real cures is through adult stem-cell 
research
and urges Congress to focus its funding on that line of study, according to CMA
Executive Director Dr. David Stevens.

"Many of them are unaware of the research that's out there and what the medical
journals are showing," he said. "What they're hearing is from so-called 
scientific
experts who are blinded by their desire for federal funding."

Stevens said his group's membership is made up of doctors taking care of 
patients
with maladies such as Parkinson's disease and diabetes ? patients they can help 
if
they can get the cures promised by adult stem cells.

"We cannot stand by and see the country go down the wrong research path ?
morally and scientifically ? when patients are going to continue to suffer," 
Stevens
said.

Dr. David Prentice, a former science adviser to members of Congress who now
works for the Family Research Council, said adult stem cells ? not embryonic 
stem
cells ? are the ones showing the real success.

"What we're finding," he said, "is you can take these cells, they can stimulate
regeneration in the heart, in the brain, in the liver, in virtually any tissue 
we need."

But embryonic research advocates stand to make millions of dollars from patents.
And then there's the abortion industry.

"Their fear," he said, "is that, if you say you shouldn't destroy embryos, it 
obviously
puts their particular bent on human life in question."

The sound science of the CMA letter just might expose the truth.

SOURCE: Family News In Focus, CO


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