Stephanie Wrote:
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> A cure is stopping the mechanism of the disease in
> its tracks but not necessarily repairing already
> damaged organs and other tissues. What if the
> person has suffered such kidney damage that they
> are on dialysis? They're going to still need a
> transplant to live.

I consider a cure to be a repair as well. If kidney tissue could be regenerated in a person, they would not need a transplant. In addition, cures for certain illnesses if caught early enough, would prevent organ damage. With an illness like diabetes, the illness is the destruction of the pancreas. Pancreas transplants don't work, AFAIK, since the disease process simply attacks the new pancreas. It's that process that we need to understand IMO.

> >
> > There was an interesting debate on stem cell
> > research on the Catholic TV channel that I
> watched
> > a couple of months ago, and posted links
> here. I
> > don't know if anyone else watched it. One
> point
> > that was made was that there are different
> kinds
> > of stem cell research, and most of us do not
> know
> > about it. Cells from embryos are one kind,
> but
> > adult stem cells can also be used. According
> to
> > this show, it is only the adult stem cell
> work
> > that is yielding good results. Embryonic
> cells
> > are different from adult cells in that they
> are
> > harder to control and more like cancer in
> some
> > respects. The adult cells behave better for
> the
> > researchers. Aside from morality issues,
> which
> > the Catholic church has, there is this other
> > practical difference which no one talks
> about. I
> > had hoped that someone who knows more than I
> do
> > about biology (looks around for Pete) had
> watched
> > and could comment.
>
> I am very sorry, Joanne, but that Catholic show
> seems to have deliberately misleading people. I
> don't think many are aware that embryonic stem
> cell research and treatment has been around for a
> long time. Yes, treatment. I believe it was about
> 7 years ago that a friend of mine, suffering from
> severe systemic lupus erythematosus was given an
> embryonic stem cell transplant. Her kidney
> function was down around 30% and she was on
> dialysis. She was fully expected to need a kidney
> transplant in just a few years. Instead, she was
> accepted for human trials of stem cell transplant.
> She spent over a month in the hospital, perhaps
> closer to two. They first stabilized her, then
> nuked her immune system to oblivion and performed
> the stem cell transplant. She lived in a bubble
> at the hospital for a while as her immune system
> built back up. She was already in better health
> by the time she was discharged. There were some
> surprises though that nobody really expected. Her
> kidney function increased. Apparently, the stem
> cell transplant triggered a regeneration in her
> kidneys. When it reached almost 70%, she was taken
> off dialysis. A year later, her kidney function
> was just about normal and she had no disease flare
> up at all. Two years later, the same. Three years
> later, still the same. Excellent health, no
> reduction in kidney function. At 5 years, she was
> declared "cured". By that time, she and I fell out
> of contact because hey, she was busy doing all the
> things that illness had prevented her from doing
> before. This was about 8 or 9 years ago.

One of the things the Catholic channel's show did was to emphasize the difference between embryonic stem cell and adult stem cell. From what they said, it sounds as if your friend had the adult stem cell treatment. That research, as they explored, has had some truly amazing results. Embryonic cells behave differently. Until I saw the show, I had not realzied there were different kinds of stem cells and different kinds of research with different outcomes. At this point, I have no reason to doubt the show at all.

>
> Where are all the people who are cured today? Why
> am I still sick and getting worse, year by year?
> Heck, day by day, sometimes. Why are millions
> still sick? Why are lupus patients hanging out on
> dialysis still today when they don't have to be?
> I'm not keen on the idea of using embryonic stem
> cells for a cure. At least not for me. I'd feel
> much more ethically better about it if it were
> somehow my own cells that were used. However, it
> has to give you pause as to why so many are still
> suffering when about 8 years ago, some 60 people
> got a treatment that changed their lives.

As I see it, the problem is that people are fooling around with nonsense and danger like the hybrid sheep/human and battling over embryonic stem cells, when they could focus on adult stem cells, especially if that is what has shown promise. One of the points in the show was that part of the political move pushing towards embryonic stem cell work is closely allied with cloning. Some of this is not focusing on helping patients, but is a something of a toy for scientists.