Michael Cook at Mercatornet takes note of and comments on a disturbing editorial in the June edition of Nature.  But, as he notes, the position is one that simply reflects Nature’s long-held practice of excluding human embryos from the concept of “human dignity” . . . and when that becomes too difficult, they scrap “human dignity” altogether. Nice, huh?

Read all about it here: Dignified Arguments

We need a committment to the pro-life position on embryonic stem cell research funding, not more teasers like “open to alternatives”. Do you think that you will lose independents or cross-over voters because of  adhering to (at least) the status quo on this issue? Doubtful.

Related article: John McCain Keeping Open Mind to Embryonic Stem Cell Research Alternatives
Related blog post: I Do Not Trust John McCain

I’ve been shocked at the number of visitors the sickle cell anemia posts tend to draw to this blog. Well, here we go again! More great news. A little boy is cured of the disease from cells taken from his baby sister’s umbilical cord. I don’t want to give away the details of this fabulous “human interest” story, so just take a few minutes to read it:

Brentwood boy whose family moved here from Panama is cured of sickle cell anemia

After immunosuppressive therapy fifty-six human patients with Multiple Sclerosis received autologous haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (h/t Wesley Smith). Tatiana Ionova, MD, PhD, Department of Haematology, Pirogov National Medical Surgical Center, Moscow, Russia reports that “All patients appeared to respond to treatment.” From the release:

Improvement was seen in 62.3%, and stabilisation occurred in 37.7% of patients. Progression after improvement occurred in 7.1% and progression after stabilisation in 11.8% of patients.

There were no deaths during the course of the study.

Out of 26 patients included in the quality-of-life analysis, 24 exhibited a response and preserved a good quality of life during the follow-up. No unexpected treatment-related adverse events were observed.

Dr. Ionova concludes that this treatment is a safe and effective therapy for MS.

Meanwhile a woman in the UK is fighting for the right of her and her husband to travel to Switzerland for an assisted suicide after she can, “no longer bear being alive.” Tragic.

According to a Griffith University study, published last Thursday in the journal Stem Cells, there is evidence that stem cells taken from a patient’s nose could produce dopamine-producing brain cells when transplanted into the brain. It has been a success in mice anyway.

I find this study particularly interesting because just a few years ago human spinal cord injury patients were also treated with stem cells from their own noses and every one of the seven patients showed improved ASIA motor scores, among other improvements (Read testimony from patient Jacki Rabon, or watch video).

Previous posts:
Stem Cells Treat Parkinson’s Disease
Ethical Life Science News (see last paragraph, story “Cell-based Therapy Shows Promise In Patients With Parkinson’s Disease”

Karl Keating and Catholic Answers have come up with an important “state of stem cells” educational bulletin insert which we can all help fund and disseminate. They aim to send Stem Cells, New Danger, New Hope to every parish in the U.S., and even to each member of Congress before November.

That’s right folks, November. Are we really that pessimistic? Well no. But even if Senator Obama is not elected, there is still so much at stake - possibly many of the life-saving and life-affirming legislative gains regarding the funding of stem cell research put in place by President Bush. Some believe that recent iPS breakthroughs have undermined the demand for embryonic stem cell lines . . . but there is little evidence to support this idea.  Well, read all about it at Catholic Answers, and consider how you can help get this bulletin everywhere it needs to be read . . . and soon!

While BOGO may be winding down (though there is some inventory still available, folks!), Bill Schneeberger is still out there doing his part to promote adult stem cell research and therapies. He will be talking with Don Margolis about The Repair Stem Cells Institute. Listen in on Walking on Water Radio on Thursday,  June 12th.

It’s one I’ve been interested in for awhile, but with the recent iPS breakthroughs, concerns about ANT seemed to have taken a back seat in the world of Catholic bioethics. Dawn’s article is a great read not only for those who may not be familiar with the concerns surrounding ANT and its federal funding under the umbrella of pluripotent stem cell research, but also for those of us who have been wondering “what’s up with that?” of late.

Check it out at Inside Catholic: Friendly Fire: The Rough and Tumble World of the Stem Cell Debate

Two year old Nate Liao is the first person to be successfully treated with cord blood and bone marrow stem cells to correct his epidermolysis bullosa (EB). Now doctor’s say they have set the path for a cure for his painful genetic skin disease. Those who suffer from this disease experience a life of chronic pain, blisters, sores, amputations, infections and it can eventually lead to cancer. Nate received the stem cells from his healthy brother last October. Nate’s brother Jacob, who also has the disease, received a cord-blood transplant from an unrelated donor on May 30. Watch video

While scientists back off claims that embryonic stem cells will ever treat human patients, ethical “adult” stem cells continue to impact the lives of many.

Previous ASCA post:
Adult stem cells may help children with a severe skin disease

Researchers at the Joslin Diabetes Center have identified a group of cells that aid in the proliferation and expansion of blood-forming hematopoietic stem cells. Those would be osteoblasts, the cells responsible for bone formation. The finding was published in the May issue of the journal Blood and, by improving their understanding of such stem cells, scientists believe it could have an impact on future bone marrow and peripheral blood progenitor cell transplants. Read more.