“A Cellular Approach”

Shhh…don’t tell the drug companies! Here is a news clip from the Journal of the American Medical Association about patients with auto immune diseases and cardiovascular disorders being treated with their own stem cells. From Dr. Richard Burt from Northwestern University Feinburg School of Medicine on the JAMA Report:

“It’s a whole new approach to these diseases. Rather than just surgery or drugs, you can use a cellular approach that seems, in many different studies, to be benefiting the patient.”

The review of these treatments appears in this weeks publication of JAMA.

(a friend of mine emailed me this story after seeing it on Vital Signs)

Obamamania? Just say no

Leticia poses the scenario, “What to do if Obamamania hits home?”

Let’s raise the stakes:  What do you do if  you live in the eye of the Obamamania hurricane? That’s right, what’s a good Catholic girl living in Illinois to do?

1) Allow yourself to feel a momentary surge of unbridled joy. There is a very real possibility that  Barack Obama will not be your senator for much longer. Of course, that doesn’t help with the fact that Sen. Durbin, Governor Blago, and Attorney General Lisa Madigan are working hard with your tax dollars to perpetuate the reign of gloom and doom that is the scene in Illinois . . . but surely I digress.

2)Allow the momentum from that first unreflective surge of unbridled joy to keep you from falling to the floor in despair once you completely comprehend the real possibility that Mr. Obama could be your next President. Please don’t pass out - it may be interpreted as a swoon.

3)Get the facts, get busy, and get a t-shirt. The t-shirt is a nice touch isn’t it? It’s not really safe to wear that outside Dupage county though - just fair warning.

Fact: Mr. Obama sponsored the misleadingly named Ronald Reagan Biomedical Act of Illinois and the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act in DC - both promoting extravagent funding for embryonic stem cell research.  Mr. Obama appears to have a slightly more sophisticated knowledge of the stem cell world than many of our politicians, which unfortunately makes it less excusable that he stood before President Bush and said:

All over the country, exciting progress is being made in the area of embryonic stem cell research. At the University of Illinois, they’re finding that stem cells have the potential to treat blood disorders, lung diseases, and heart damage. . .   

without so much as even nodding to the fact that adult and amniotic fluid stem cells are not potentially treating these problems . . . but in fact, already are. Thankfully, President Bush was not impressed.

 In his own bid for the Oval Office, 2008, Mr. Obama reaffirms his commitment to federal funding for embryonic stem cell research:

“This is about a commitment to medical research, under strict federal guidelines. … [We must] expand the current policy on embryonic stem cell research so that we can begin finding the cures of tomorrow today.”

Change? Folks, this isn’t pocket change. We are talking billions of dollars to be spent on research that is morally reprehensible to many Americans.

Fact: Mr. Obama opposed the Supreme Court’s recent ban on Partial Birth Abortion.

Fact: Mr. Obama opposed the Born Alive Infant Protection Act - a stance that put him even left-field of NARAL. Scary. Try that one on sally swooner.

While there are many who cannot, for whatever reasons, understand that the human embryo has inherent dignity and should be respected, and still others cannot find themselves opposed to any abortion procedure, even the most repugnant, surely they will bat an eye at the idea that an already born baby should not be given the  respect due a human person.

As for Barack Obama,  the only batting he has done is zero for three in these crucial life issues.

Obamamania? Change that some, literally, won’t be able to live with.

Adult stem cell treatments, not just for humans anymore

What a great story about, Knowhere,  a racehorse who would have been a has been too soon, had it not been for adult stem cell therapy. Knowhere is going somewhere if his recent Gold Cup trial win tell us anything.

VetCell is a biotech at the forefront of collecting, processing, and delivering stem cells culled from equine umbilical cords and bone marrow for use primarily in racehorses.  Interestingly, though there would be no ethical conflict in obtaining and using cells from animal embryos (though certainly still icky), VetCell chooses to work with adult stem cells.

Chelsea reported on VetCell almost a year ago - read her comments.

Truth and Justice Triumph in Missouri

Thanks be to God! Yesterday Judge Patricia Joyce upheld the challenge by Missouri Cures Without Cloning to Secretary of State Robin Carnahan’s inaccurate and blatantly biased ballot summary for a constitutional amendment to truly ban human cloning in Missouri. I am incredibly pleased and quite frankly surprised at the ruling. The revised language is much closer to the purpose of the actual Amendment than Carnahan’s disgraceful language.

Because of the lawsuit, progress has been delayed for quite some time. So we still have very hard work ahead of us if we are to have any chance of getting this on the ballot in November, especially if the opposition decides to appeal in an effort to halt the signature gathering process. Please keep us in your prayers so that we can finally, truly ban human cloning (and promote REAL hope for therapies and cures) in Missouri!

Try this one:
Rosary Crusade Safeguarding Embryonic Human Life

Also, visit the CWC blog!

Action item concerning Adult Stem Cell Awareness

If you have read our “Who” page, you know that the impetus for this project is not just the fun of blogging, but ultimately to generate interest in a Presidential proclamation designating June as Adult Stem Cell Awareness Month.

 A letter has been delivered to President Bush requesting just this. Now we need anyone who cares about this issue to support the proclamation request by making phone calls, sending in emails, whatever it takes to make your voice heard. We all know the clock is ticking here. No matter who our next President may be, none of the likely candidates have a strong committment to adult stem cell research. In fact, we stand to lose some of the legislative gains we have made. We need to do what we can with the time we have.

Read Bill Schneeberger’s letter here. Think about the power of branding via “awareness” logos. Consider the ubiquitious, innocuous power of the pink ribbon not only during the month of October (Breast Cancer Awareness Month), but all through the year.  The Pink Ribbon Campaign was jump-started by a proclamation from President Clinton. Imagine how we could market the cause of “Cures without Controversy” in such a way. Consider what you will do to help. Need ideas? Stay tuned.

Join Unborn Word Alliance in Prayer

The Unborn Word Alliance points out that the election is roughly nine months away. That gives us time to pray a novena of sorts:

During the next nine months we can show solidarity for the unborn in various ways - particularly by surrounding them with our love and praying fervently for their rights during this election cycle.

That lovely image pictured above depicts a human embryo cradled in a heart. If there is any person even more vulnerable than a baby in the womb, it is a human embryo in a petri dish or lab freezer. Let us pray for an end to embryonic stem cell research as part of our prayers for all the unborn.

Hey Ladies Check it Out!

It turns out that there is more to the benefits of breast milk than we originally though. It appears that breast milk contains stem cells that aide the further development of the infant after birth (h/t Mary Meets Dolly):

“We already know how breast milk provides for the baby’s nutritional needs, but we are only just beginning to understand that it probably performs many other functions,” says Dr Cregan, a molecular biologist at The University of Western Australia.

He says that, in essence, a new mother’s mammary glands take over from the placenta to provide the development guidance to ensure a baby’s genetic destiny is fulfilled.

“It is setting the baby up for the perfect development,” he says. “We already know that babies who are breast fed have an IQ advantage and that there’s a raft of other health benefits. Researchers also believe that the protective effects of being breast fed continue well into adult life.

“The point is that many mothers see milks as identical – formula milk and breast milk look the same so they must be the same. But we know now that they are quite different and a lot of the effects of breast milk versus formula don’t become apparent for decades. Formula companies have focussed on matching breast milk’s nutritional qualities but formula can never provide the developmental guidance.”

Simply amazing. Women should never feel inferior to men. Honestly. Men play a major role in the creation of a new human being, but they surely can never boast of the amazing nurturing and life giving properties of the female body. Rejoice, therefore, for you are fearfully and wonderfully made!!

It is also true that women’s menstrual blood is rich in stem cells that even contain properties similar to embryonic stem cells.

Excellent!

Hey, that’s what Chelsea says about the ASCA blog! She crowned us with the big black and white “E” coveted by bloggers everywhere, even the most demure of us. You know, this one - can’t miss it, big black “E” that boldly proclaims EXCELLENCE: 

Now that I’ve enjoyed a few moments, I’ve got to give it away. That’s right - 10 other excellent blogs are about to receive their crowning glory. Chelsea has already named some that I would have, so I’ll try to keep this list a little different. Here they are - in no particular order:

1. Cosmos-Liturgy-Sex: Always provocative, but in a good way. Go see.

2. Causa Nostrae Laetitiae: She’s got moxie and can spell stuff in Latin. Plus, she’s on our team - behind the scenes for now.

3: Birth Story: Alexa has consistenly delivered the most interesting pro-life news items for several years now.  She deserves a big, fat E.

4. The Dawn Patrol: Ms. Eden also has moxie, and so much more. I guess I like moxie.

5.  Catholic and Enjoying It: Mark Shea is a daily read for me and the diversity of topics he covers is charmingly alarming.

6. I Have to Sit Down: Simcha is an armchair theologian, for sure. With some Colbert-esque qualities thrown in. She’s a mom with lots of children. And sometimes her posts are just inexplicably and reassuringly disturbing. I like that.

7. Real Choice: Christina’s blog is no fun to read. In fact it’s heartwrenching. If you care about lives lost to abortion (including the abortive moms), you’ll find her blog horrible but excellent too.

8. Charlotte Was Both: Even though she blogs less frequently and in longer more ponderous posts, I still stop by Amy Welborn’s blog daily. I’m glad she switched because now I have a chance to keep up!

Okay, I know that’s only eight, but I’m still deliberating. Or maybe I’m stingy. Time will tell.  

For some of us, February 14th is not about candy

Okay, unless it’s Two Hearts Confections - where every purchase advances the cause of adult stem cell research and awareness!

But more seriously now, we post a lot about heart disease therapies here on ASCA because adult stem cells work nicely in hearts. That’s good news. But there is another kind of heart disease more accurately classified as congenital heart defects. These structural defects may one day be addressed through regenerative medicine, and certainly adult stem cell therapies could slow or reverse the heart failure caused by some defects. For now though, the only help for those with congenital heart defects comes by way of surgeries and pharmaceuticals.

For some of us, February 14th is Congenital Heart Defects Awareness Day.

I know about  congenital heart defects - surely more than I want to. My second child was born with life-threatening complex heart defects, the kind that really can’t be fixed. She’s just one of hundreds of thousands. Statistics say that one in a hundred children will be born with some kind of chd (congenital heart defect). Let’s face it, the odds are high that if you don’t already know and love a child born with heart defects, you will soon.

There is one organization that you can count on to fund research not only for adults with often preventable types of heart disease, but in addition, for innocent children who enter the world with messed up hearts. And for now, at least, this org does not financially support embryonic stem cell research. It’s got a household name - you may even already donate to it . . . it’s the American Heart Association.

On February 14th, as you bite into one of those yummy Two Hearts truffles, please consider donating or in some other way supporting the American Heart Association. If you do so, please tell them you applaud their stance to avoid embryonic stem cell research and their committment to people of all ages who suffer from some form of heart disease. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart.

P.S.  Consider asking for the intercession of Dr. Giancarlo Rastelli for all our little ones with heart defects. And on my calendar, it’s the feast day of Sts. Cyril and Methodius, so swing a prayer to them, too.

Want to see a beautiful boy who is alive today because of cardiac research? Watch this video about little Dominic and you will understand why this matters so much to parents like me.

Coming up today: hearts and awards

Yes, friends, we have a blogger award which I’ll be happy to post shortly. Part of the deal is sharing the joy. As a result, we choose 10 other blogs on which to bestow the highly coveted award! So, thanks Chelsea!

And as a PSA, we want to highlight an org that is doing great things for Americans - without funding, oddly enough, embryonic stem cell research.

More coming up! Stay tuned.