Joanne Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

> 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.

Well, a cure doesn't have to be a repair of what's already damaged if it's stopping the disease that's been doing the damage but it sure would be nice.

>
> 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.

No, actually, I have another old friend, who had a hematopoietic stem cell transplant several years ago. This was using her own adult stem cells. She has stayed involved in the research ever since and is in total remission. The difference is that they won't do it on patients with major organ problems. There is also another negative trade off in that you lose all your vaccinations and if you get re-vaccinated, well, the disease comes back. The reasoning being is that her body is still geared to being herself. Kind of funny about that, imo, considering that I developed rubella from a vaccine as a child.

Here's a couple articles from the other side of the trenches in regards to the differences between adult and embryonic stem cells:

[www.news-medical.net]

[stemcells.nih.gov]

>
> 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.

Hybrid sheep and cloning are one thing but, honestly, dismissing embryonic stem cells is not nonsensical and dangerous. I think it would be far better if both adult and embryonic stem cells were equally studied so that we would know when it's okay to use one and when it's preferable to use the other. In the case of autoimmune disease, using one's own stem cell doesn't cure a person. The patient still has the same bad information there and runs a risk of just getting sick all over again. Even implying that esc studies should be stopped because of associations with cloning is going way too far. Yeah, cloning really should be curbed but why dispose of something that can really help people for something that's only a patch job?

Please read the articles that I've put up. I really think you need to get some different perspectives other than that based on a show that has its religious dogmas dictating it.

Stephanie





In every man there is something wherein I may learn of him, and in that I am his pupil.--Ralph Waldo Emerson