Re: U.S. elections: Gov. Bush and stem cell research

[Barb_MSN <Barb_MSN@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Linda H and All...

Vis a vis stem cell research, It seems that some US politicians
haven't learned that once the genie is out of the bottle, it's
impossible to force it back into that bottle!

Perhaps it would make these hard core "anti stem cell" politicians
get the picture if folks in the USA begin donating funds to
Australian and other non-US-based researchers who strongly
advocate stem cell and other similar research in order to FINALLY
come up with a cure for PD and like diseases.

Barb Mallut
barb_msn@xxxxxxxxxxxxx


-----Original Message-----
From: Linda J Herman <ljherman1@xxxxxxxx>
To: PARKINSN@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx <PARKINSN@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Friday, September 29, 2000 3:54 AM
Subject: U.S. elections: Gov. Bush and stem cell research


>FROM: United Press International
>September 22, 2000, Friday
>SECTION: GENERAL NEWS
>LENGTH: 369 words
>HEADLINE: Bush White House would end stem cell research
>BYLINE: By MARK KUKIS
>DATELINE: SUN CITY, Fla., Sept. 22
>BODY:
>
>   If elected president, George W. Bush would end stem cell
research
>involving
>human embryos, a controversial practice that was cleared last
month for
>federal
>funding by the National Institutes of Health, an aide to the
Republican
>presidential candidate said Friday.
>
>   "It's something we would take steps to remedy," a Bush
campaign health
>policy
>adviser said, on condition of anonymity, as the candidate
suggested an
>increase
>in NIH funding by $67 billion over 10 years.
>
>   The adviser said Bush's public stance against medical studies
using
>tissue
>from frozen embryos would lead a Bush administration to cut off
federal
>funds
>for embryonic stem cell research, which the NIH approved in
August by
>lifting a
>yearlong moratorium.
>
>   Stem cells, formed in humans and animals at the beginning of
life,
>have the
>ability to produce a variety of specialized cells in the body,
such as
>muscle
>cells or nerve cells. Scientists believe they can cultivate stem
cells to
>produce healthy tissues to either augment or replace ailing
organs.
>
>   The kind of stem cells used in research, "pluripotent" cells,
can
>develop
>into many different cell types, but they cannot grow into a
fetus.
>Because of
>this, the NIH said federal law, which prohibits embryo research,
does not
>preclude funding for research using pluripotent stem cells.
>
>   But the research is opposed by many anti-abortion groups
because it
>involves
>destroying tissue that could, if implanted in a woman, develop
into a
>fetus.
>
>   "Governor Bush as a pro-life candidate does not support things
that
>would be
>the potential taking of a life, so that's why embryonic
(research) is
>problematic for us," the adviser said.
>
>   Doctors believe stem cell research, however, has the potential
to
>revolutionize medical treatment in areas ranging from Parkinson's
disease
>to
>paralysis. A ban on stem cell research would undercut many
ongoing
>scientific
>studies.
>
> PAGE 2
>             United Press International September 22, 2000,
Friday
>
>
>   In conjunction with its decision in August, the NIH issued
guidelines
>stating
>that federal funds for stem cell research can be used only if the
cells
>were
>derived from frozen embryos that had been created for the purpose
of
>fertility
>treatment and were not subsequently needed. They cannot be taken
from
>aborted
>fetuses.
>
>LANGUAGE: ENGLISH
>
>LOAD-DATE: September 23, 2000