Divine Mercy Sunday for life issues

 

This Sunday is the celebration of Divine Mercy. Sadly, only a minority of Catholics are familiar with this powerful devotion, and even far fewer of our non-Catholic brother and sisters. If you, dear reader, do not know what the Divine Mercy devotion is all about, we invite you to learn about it here.

In 2003, John Paul the Great offered a papal blessing to those who would pray the chaplet specifically for the intentions of ending the culture of death and for the relief of its many victims. I don’t know if that papal blessing is irrevocable or not, but certainly Our Lord promises to shower down graces each and every time we pray the chaplet.  In 2003, Fr. Pavone of Priests for Life wrote:

The Holy Father has given a new gift to the pro-life movement.

You have likely seen the picture of Jesus standing with his hand pointed to his heart, from which red and pale rays emanate. The words “Jesus, I trust in you” are at the bottom. This image represents the devotion to Divine Mercy, based on revelations given to St. Faustina Kowalska (1905-1938). The image itself was revealed to her, as was the “Chaplet of Divine Mercy,” in which we pray the following words:

“Eternal Father, I offer You the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Your dearly beloved Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, in atonement for our sins and those of the whole world. For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.”Pope John Paul II has fostered this devotion within the Church, and has declared the Sunday after Easter to be Divine Mercy Sunday. Many of the faithful, especially in the pro-life movement, practice this devotion.

Now the Pope has personally emphasized this connection once again, by signing a special Papal Blessing for those who pray the Chaplet for an end to abortion. The blessing, signed on the Feast of the Annunciation, March 25, 2003, is addressed to the Eucharistic Apostles of the Divine Mercy and to “all the faithful worldwide who join them in offering the Divine Mercy Chaplet…for mothers, that they not abort their offspring; for infants in danger of being put to death in the womb; for a change of heart of providers of abortions and of their collaborators; for human victims of stem cell research, genetic manipulation, cloning and euthanasia; and for all entrusted with the government of peoples, that they may promote the Culture of Life, so as to put an end to the culture of death.”God cannot fail to hear our prayer; let’s not fail to pray it.

And so, friends, let’s make use of this gift. Let us ask mercy for our own sins, and those of the whole world, especially as they concern the life issues by praying the chaplet on Divine Mercy Sunday.

Come upon this post after Divine Mercy Sunday? Here is another great opportunity to pray with so many others around the world: Saint Michael the Archangel Organization.

Noah, the former embryo, is in the news

This gorgeous baby boy was rescued from the ravages of Hurricane Katrina. It was a compelling story then, because at the time, Noah was a frozen embryo. Perhaps some were flabbergasted that rational people would risk their own lives to save a mere embryo. Yet Noah’s parents knew that Noah was no less their baby then, as an embryo, than they hoped he would one day be, held in their arms.

Noah turned 1 yr old in January!

CBN (Christian Broadcast News) just ran a great piece about Noah. They have interviewed Robert P. George, author, ethicist, and advisor for the President’s Council on Bioethics. They touch on stem cell research and the canonically controversial topic of embryo adoption. Read Survival Tale of an Embryo Called ‘Noah’.

Hat tip to Spirit Daily.

Pay Attention, Nancy Reagan

Once the late Ronald Reagan’s Alzheimer’s Disease progressed so far that his wife Nancy could, “no longer reach him” she, and her son Ron, came out publicly in favor of embryonic stem cell research in the hope of finding a cure for this devastating disease. They have both been strong advocates for this life destroying research ever since. But Ron and Nancy may want to re-think their position in light of some new developments in research involving umbilical cord blood stem cells.

In a pre-clinical study, published in the March issue of Stem Cells and Development:

researchers from the University of South Florida and Saneron CCEL Therapeutics, Inc., found that targeted immune suppression using stem cells derived from human umbilical cord blood reduced Alzheimer’s disease progression in a mouse model….

During the study, researchers administered a series of low-dose infusions of umbilical cord blood cells into mice with abnormalities mimicking Alzheimer’s disease. As they observed the mice, they found that the levels of amyloid-beta proteins, which are key markers of Alzheimer’s progression in the brain, were reduced by nearly two-thirds (62%), and cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA, another marker of the disease in which the amyloid proteins harden the brain’s blood vessel walls) was improved by 86 percent. The cord blood infusions were shown to suppress the inflammatory activity, which indicates their potential to block the inflammatory response involved in Alzheimer’s disease and also related disorders.

See the original research report

This is very early research, probably years away from any human trials, but already miles ahead of any progress shown with ESCs. Some decry the commercialization of private umbilical cord blood banks, but if this research continues to develop who knows what the future might hold. Those who cannot afford to preserve their own UCB can certainly donate it for use in transplants and current/future stem cell research and trials.

Some UCB banks:
Cryo-Cell International, which partially funded this research
Saint Louis Cord Blood Bank
Cord Blood Registry
Where to Donate Cord Blood
Charity guide to donating cord blood

China stem cell therapy offers hope, U.S. offers “caution”.

There are several stories here, but let’s first give a hat tip to Don Margolis for blogging this article about little Lydia Olmsted, born with an ocular defect, septo-optic dysplasia. You may recall reading about another little girl here, Rylea, born with another ocular defect, optic nerve hypoplasia.

So, what are the stories here?

First, hope where there was none. Lydia can see better after having traveled to China to receive therapies derived from umbilical cord cells. Just like Rylea.

These therapies are not FDA approved. American stem cell scientists as well as other medical professionals warn patients to be cautious because these treatments have not been submitted to the protocols required in FDA clinical trials.

But both these families are well-informed about the novelty of the treatments they have submitted their daughters to. Both the girls can see things they could not before. American physicians time and time again offered them no hope. What would you do? And what do future families stand to gain because these families were willing to not only take the risk, but in addition, pay for it, too?

How many opportunities, therapies, and cures have we lost (to foreign researchers?) . . . not because of caution, but because of a pathological obsession with the use of embryonic stem cells? Where would be now if all those minds, all that talent, and truly — all that money had gone to adult stem cell research?

Want a cure for cystic fibrosis? Thank Iowa pig farmers.

True science is creative. Imaginative and resourceful minds show us that ethical boundaries don’t inhibit productive research. Scientists on a quest to study cystic fibrosis found that genetic mutations in mice could not replicate the disease as it is expressed in humans, so they turned to pigs. Yet, even the genetically altered pigs were not able to inherit full blown cystic fibrosis. That didn’t stop them either. Thinking outside the petri dish offered a solution. Relying on natural reproduction - good old -fashioned breeding, the Iowa researchers are expecting their first batch of baby pigs with cystic fibrosis any time now. These little piggies with cystic fibrosis will pretty closely model their human counterparts.

The moral of the story? Even on the quest to save lives, real science need not destroy embryonic humans.

Read the story, here.

New biotech to operate according to Catholic ethics

We already have several great biotechs that operate this way – fully in line with and inspired by Catholic ethics - including the John Paul II Stem Cell Research Institute, founded by Dr. Alan Moy. And more and more Catholic science professionals are taking initiatives to ensure that all of us can enjoy the progress of science without the problems of science. Of particular focus is the potential problem of using therapies derived from embryonic stem cells, or more commonly, the already existent problem of using vaccines that are generated from the tissue of aborted babies. While our culpability in the use of these products has been reduced to “very remote” cooperation, why not find another way to create vaccines and therapies – reducing the need for any degree of cooperation in inherently evil acts?

Dr. Theresa Deisher has announced the formation of AVM Biotechnology, LLC. Deisher has consistently spoken out against the use of fetal tissue (from aborted babies) to create vaccines. Her org is working to develop ethically derived vaccines and bring them into the marketplace. In addition, AVM will work in the area of regenerative medicine – which uses autologous tissues and adult stem cells.

Read here to find out more about AVM Biotechnology, LLC.

Where the Real Booming Stem Cell Business Is

While most states are in a race to stimulate their economy by throwing hundreds of thousands and even billions of dollars into unethical and unproven research involving the use and destruction of human life the market for adult stem cells is multiplying rapidly and investors are taking notice. From the Chicago Tribune:

A gathering known as the Stem Cell Summit might sound so controversial it would need a steely moderator, or even police protection, so politically delicate is the science of using embryos in medical research.

But this affair at the Hilton New York on Sixth Avenue in Manhattan was all business because while the research community remains interested in embryonic stem cells, these days the focus is on the potential uses of adult stem cells, where it turns out that significant progress is being made away from the political spotlight.

Progress that is helping human patients in several clinical trials today:

“About 11,000 people have been treated in the U.S. with stem cell products in the last two years,” Robin Young, a financial analyst who follows the stem cell industry, told more than 250 institutional investors and Wall Street firm representatives at the summit in New York last month. “Virtually all of the therapeutic stem cells that are or will soon be commercialized are adult stem cells,” Young said.

Yes, the United States is treating patients with stem cells, isn’t that the goal of stem cell research?:

“One of the pieces of rhetoric you hear all of the time is that the U.S. is far behind in stem cell research because of this or that but the fact is, we are not only the furthest along in the U.S., but the world,” said Randal Mills, chief executive of Osiris Therapeutics Inc., who some call the Bill Gates of the stem cell industry…

“We are practicing cellular therapy today and people wouldn’t be alive if it were not for these therapies,” said Kenneth Giacin, chief executive of StemCyte, which manages a cord blood cell bank and database for patients needing a transplant.

Not only that, but the ACS research business is booming. Osiris’ Osteocel, which is a bone marrow treatment that stimulates bone growth, saw their sales jump 83% in the last year and StemCyte Inc. is seeing its revenue grow 50 to 70 percent annually.

We may not exactly be leading the world in ASC research as Mr. Mills suggests, there are still plenty of people leaving the country such treatments. But more and more American scientists and investors are picking up on this truly life saving area of research and successfully working together to fund and discover new uses for these amazing stem cells. If only our politicians and news media would pay attention and let go of their obsession with research that destroys human life with little to no progress to show for itself.

Read more about these and other stem cell companies and their plans for future clinical trials to develop treatments for heart failure and breast reconstructive surgery.

More:
ABC News Medical Minute: Stem Cell Research Grows Up (video)
“A Cellular Approach”
ASC vs. ESC research scorecard
Umbilical Cord Blood Stem Cells Help Brain Function in Mice
States Take Sides on Stem Cell Research

Putting our money where our morals are

Chelsea’s got the scoop on a sure thing in the investment world . . . adult stem cell biotechs, such as StemCyte and Osiris Therapeutics. Plenty of people are finding it a lucrative thing to put their money (and make their money) where our morals are. Read about it here.

Meanwhile, let’s not forget orgs such as BOGO Wines and the John Paul II Stem Cell Research Institute, who need our support to keep doing what they are doing.  Let’s not forget to put our money where our morals are.

Jesus of Nazareth and Stem Cells

Bill Schneeberger sends in this beautiful reflection:

On a flight from Chicago to Cleveland, I found myself seated next to wonderful women who asked me what I did for a living.  I replied that I was a professional speaker and that I had just been interviewed for a TV show where we discussed the issue of stem cell research. Well Jessica gave me the “stem cell stare” and murmured “Oh, that’s nice.” Because I have been subject to that look hundreds of times before, I asked her if she knew anything about stem cell research and she gave me the obligatory answer, ” Yes, a little.” I then asked this young woman-who I might add, was 29 years old, college educated, informed, articulate, and on her way to a number of business appointments with some very high profile customers-if she had stem cells in her body. Her answer was (you guessed it), “I don’t know.”

It finally dawned on me that the ignorance of stem cells was even worse than I had thought, and believe me, I know it is bad. No wonder BOGO Wines has been a monumental struggle. People don’t even know the basic biological fact that we all have stem cells, from the moment of our conception to our death.

This brings me to the title of this article: Jesus of Nazareth & Stem Cells.  The Incarnation of Jesus is a keystone of the Christian faith.  The process of Jesus becoming fully human is stated in the Bible when John says, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1).  John goes on to reinforce this point when he says, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth; we have beheld his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father” (John 1:14).   Furthermore, the Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches that Jesus was both fully God, as well as fully human.  Therefore, because Jesus was fully human, He had stem cells!

Shortly after Jesus Christ, King of Kings, was conceived, tiny stem cells carefully began to divide into all of the specialized tissues of His body.  As tissues and organs began to take shape, more specialized adult stem cells housed themselves in His heart, liver, skin, and bone marrow.  These adult stem cells inside the body of Jesus would be responsible for repairing and refurbishing His body throughout his 33 years on earth!  So, can stems cells be bad? No way! Stem cells are nature’s building blocks that repair and refurbish our bodies as we go through life. All people of all ages have stem cells.

So, PLEASE let everyone know that we all have stem cells!  Stem cells have the remarkable potential to develop into many different types of cells. They serve as a repair system for the body in order to replenish cells as they die off. When a stem cell divides, each new cell has the potential to either remain a stem cell or to become a more specialized cell, with a specific function, such as a muscle or liver cell.

Stem cell-based therapies propose to treat human medical conditions by replacing cells that have been lost or damaged through disease or injury.  Unlike an organ transplant, where a damaged or diseased tissue is removed and then replaced with a comparable organ from a donor, stem cell therapies involve integration of replacement cells into the existing tissues of the patient.

The moral and practical problems arise when researchers attempt to treat conditions with human embryonic stem cells.  Human embryos must be destroyed in order to obtain these cells. This means you have to kill a human being.  Also, treatment with embryonic stem cells is futile because scientists are unable to predict or control the ways in which these cells divide-the result of this uncontrolled division is deadly, cancerous tumors.  Furthermore, the body of a patient will invariably reject embryonic stem cells in the same way the body rejects a virus or transplanted organ.

Adult stem cells, on the other hand, do not require the destruction of human embryos, and will not be rejected-because they come from the patient’s own body.  Thus far, over 70 different diseases and conditions (www.stemcellresearch.org) have been treated with adult stem cells (without any moral complication).  Adult stem cells are hard at work, rebuilding, refurbishing and saving lives in practical and ethical ways!

Editor’s notes: Please consider purchasing BOGO wines (and Two Hearts Confections) . If we want to have life-affirming businesses around – those that not only give us quality products, but offer an opportunity to contribute to ethical research and educuation, then we’ve got to support them. It’s just that simple.

 Want to read more about Jesus and stem cells? Be sure to read Unborn Jesus Our Hope, beginning here.

Adult stem cells may help children with a severe skin disease

Don Margolis blogged this story about the possibility of a new hope for a terrible disease. Because I correspond a lot with parents who are considering termination – knowing that their babies will be born with defects or syndromes, Epidermolysis Bullosa (EB) has been one of those conditions I’ve always dreaded discussing; it’s awful, a life of chronic pain, likely amputations, infections . . . and yet each person affected by EB (there are several kinds with differing severity) has a right to life, even if it is a difficult one. Now, there may be some hope for these children like Jake pictured above with his unaffected brother, Julian. 

Read about this treatment – and pray. Imagine what a successful treatment means to this family, and all the families dealing with EB.