WP: Alternative Stem Cell Bill Added to Debate (umbilical cord cells)

[DeepModem Mom]

Alternative Stem Cell Bill Added to Debate
By Rick Weiss
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, May 24, 2005; Page A03


With a closely divided House poised to vote today on whether to expand federal funding of human embryonic stem cell research, opponents are offering fence-sitters what they say is an embryo-friendly alternative: a bill that would foster the use of stem cells from umbilical cords discarded after birth.

The Stem Cell Therapeutic and Research Act -- introduced by Rep. Christopher H. Smith (R-N.J.), chairman of the House Pro-Life Caucus -- would establish a network of blood banks to help make cord blood cells readily available for patients and research. The bill is set for a House vote this morning in advance of a vote on the hotly contested Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act. That bill would boost federal research spending on cells taken from live human embryos slated for disposal at fertility clinics.

The pairing of the votes raises a scientific question: Are stem cells from umbilical cords reasonable substitutes for embryonic stem cells, which can give rise to all of the body's 200 or so cell types, including nerve, liver, skin, bone, heart muscle and the pancreas, the organ that goes awry in diabetes?...

***

"Published studies have shown that cord blood stem cells have the capacity to change into other cell types, which give them the potential to treat . . . debilitating conditions such as spinal cord injury, Parkinson's, diabetes and heart disease," Smith said in a recent statement.

But several researchers said that statement stretches the truth of what is known about umbilical cord cells. Although scientists do dream of coaxing umbilical cells to produce a wide array of other cells, the only thing they can reliably give rise to today are the components of blood -- red cells, white cells and platelets....


http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/05/23/AR2005052301361.html

[Bridget Burke]

1. Cord Blood Banks already exist.

The cells can be used in place of Bone Marrow for treating cancer & other diseases. Since cords are usually discarded, this is a good way to get valuable cells.

Could any sort of stem cell (there are several) work as well as fetal ones in more advanced medicine? Only research using all types will give the answer.

[Ian David]

2. The fundies object to ALL of these, even ones made from adult cells

The South Koreans just created stem cells using adult skin cells and human egg cells.

The fundies are still all in a tizzy about it.

They think we're creating babies.

Here is my idea:

Harvest cells from the skin and hair of fundamentalists like Jerry Falwell and use them to create stem cell lines. And then call Falwell and tell him that we are murdering thousands of Jerry-Falwell-Clone-Babies every single day.

Since it is legal in most states to take possession of trash left at the curb, you could probably find enough genetic material in their garbage bags. Used Kleenex, hair pulled off hairbrushes, discarded toothbrushes, disposable razors, etc.

[rodeodance]

3. scientists want the purist cells --cord blood is 9 months removed

--give or take a few days--where as embryonic are only about 4 (or 3 days old.

and yes we can get stem cells from all cells (witness Molly the clone seveal years ago.

Related: todays line of cells (approved by bush in 2001) all all contaminated with mouse cells--the nutient growth mediam--so they need the purist--or the most uncomtaminated cells.

[LeighAnn]

9. Yep, for like $1000 you can bank your baby's cord blood

plus $75 a year storage. I hear it's hard to get some OB's to go along with it though (they have to sign a release or some such and some hospitals don't have any "protocols" established to accomodate this request).

I think hospitals and insurance companies should provide this service as a matter of course, provided a portion of the cord blood be turned over for public banking. Millions could be saved this way.

[still_one]

4. forget it, the Eurpoeans and Asians will leave us in the dust

science will take a backseat in our country, as long as these people control our government

[rodeodance]

5. California--and Wisconsin University have lots of private

money they are working with--we may not get left in the dust yet.

[still_one]

7. the neocons are trying to destroy it in California

[Frances]

6. A time will probably come when

people should object to what science can do; for example, I do not want a Brave New World where people's status in life is determined by how scientists manipulate embryos.

But the fundies will have so tarnished religious and moral objections that the majority will disregard all objections as being frivolous.

[Zookeeper]

8. This bill is mainly a way for the Rethugs to cover their behinds....

since the majority of Americans support stem cell research. They can appease the religious RW by voting against the real stem cell research (embryonic), yet still claim they voted for stem cell research because they voted for the bill which would fund research using blood from umbilical cords.

It is already legal to use umbilical cord blood in research, so I can't see another reason for this bill.

Tom DeLay's speech this morning made me want to scream. He repeatedly called the embryos (a few cells in a petri dish) "children." He is such a weasel.