Stemblog

Obama’s Executive Order regarding stem cell research

Category: General — By: Raymond on March 19, 2009 at 12:15 pm

We are, of course, thrilled and enheartened by the support being given to science and medical research by the new administration in Washington. The following letter went out to signers of a "Faith" initiative who are hoping for stem-cell based therapies and cures:

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Dear people of faith who favor stem cell research,

Way back in 2001, you signed our "People of Faith Petition" (at www.pfaith.org) asking President Bush to lift the federal restrictions on embryonic stem cell research,

Well, we can say now that we’ve come a long way!

Yesterday President Obama signed an Executive Order lifting the restrictions on the research. We can all feel proud of what we helped to accomplish. Patients and their families and friends live with renewed hope today that healing and relief of suffering may be on the horizon.

Obama spoke profoundly at the White House yesterday: "In recent years, when it comes to stem cell research, rather than furthering discovery, our government has forced what I believe is a false choice between sound science and moral values. In this case, I believe the two are not inconsistent. As a person of faith, I believe we are called to care for each other and work to ease human suffering. I believe we have been given the capacity and will to pursue this research — and the humanity and conscience to do so responsibly."

Obama’s new policy is relevant to more than stem cell research — it signals a clear change of tone from the Bush administration on a broad range of scientific issues. This change in federal perspective is a great advance for the sick and disabled, for freedom of scientific inquiry, and for enlightened faith.

We note, however, that not all obstacles to ethical, life-saving medical research have been overcome. Congress and/or the National Institutes of Health may try to obstruct implementation of the President’s Executive Order. Also, there are quite a number of states that hinder or forbid embryonic stem cell research that is conscientious and holds enormous medical promise. (Of course, adult stem cells can also be used in stem cell research, but almost all scientists in this field agree that working with embryonic cells remains essential to advancing the science and the search for cures.)

Still, all in all, this week has begun in a wonderful way! Thanks once again for your support.

Faye Armitage for Congress in Florida

Category: General — By: Raymond on November 2, 2008 at 10:30 am

Faye Armitage is running for the US Congress in Florida, District 7. She’s conducting a valiant campaign, although she’s been vastly outspent by her opponent.

Faye has for many years been an outspoken advocate for stem cell research. See her eloquent plea for advancement of the research at:
http://hk.youtube.com/watch?v=95eV178Z2Jw

Thanks — and go Faye! We appreciate the spirit as well as the intelligence you bring to our cause.

BE EVERYWHERE: Vicki Englund, Stem Cells, and Thirty Days to Remake the World

Category: General — By: Raymond on October 5, 2008 at 1:37 pm

Dear stem cell research advocates everywhere,

Hope you realize that once again in this election, stem cell research is at issue in many races. Although SCAN does not endorse any candidates, we would like voters to know where the candidates stand on this vital issue.

Senator Obama has spoken out repeatedly and clearly in support of the research. Senator MaCain has been less supportive. See our comparison of these two candidates.

But there are many other races for state and federal office in which one candidate strongly supports the research. A case in point is the campaign of Vicki Englund in Missouri. See below the opinion of Don Reed who founded Californians for Cures and is also Vice President of Public Policy for Americans for Cures Foundation. Don writes:

The most important race? Presidential. Obama must win, or everything you and I care about is at risk. This is a lot more involved here than just the sheer joy of having a friend instead of an obstacle in the White House.

The most important state? Michigan : Proposition 2 must pass, or we tell the Religious Right it is okay to keep research in the Dark Ages.

The most important Congressional/Senate (state or national) race? Your call. Right now, I know of more than 100 races where there is a strong stem cell candidate America needs to support.

Like Vicki Englund www.vickienglund.com
(Read on …)

California: THE DEFEAT OF SENATE BILL 1565

Category: General — By: Raymond on September 30, 2008 at 7:05 pm

Don Reed (www.stemcellbattles.com) talks below about the tremendous victory for stem cell research in California. Lots of credit goes to Don and to the patient advocacy group: Americans for Cures Foundation.

September 30, 2008

In the middle of the Wall Street chaos yesterday, as I sat watching CNN, wondering if I was witnessing the collapse of Western civilization, the telephone rang.

It was Amy Daly, co-executive director of Americans for Cures.

“I have news,” she said, “on SB 1565.”

Well, okay, I was sitting down anyway. More bad news would just fit with the rest of the day.

Senate Bill 1565: we patient advocates had been fighting that bill for the past eight months—through six committee hearings in the California Assembly and Senate– losing every step of the way. (Read on …)

Need your help here in California

Category: General — By: Raymond on September 26, 2008 at 6:43 pm

Listen folks,

We stem cell advocates in California need your help, whether you’re from the Golden state or not.

Wrong-headed bill SB 1565 is on Governor Schwarzenegger’s desk, and he’ll be dealing with it soon. We’re asking him to veto, because the bill will remove the priority being placed on funding of embryonic stem cell research, and also because it contains other harmful provisions. See my blog posting on this subject on Sept. 3.

The governor’s fax number is: 916-558-3160. If you have any doubts your voice can make a difference, or if you just want to see what activists can really do, watch Don Reed’s presentation at: www.stemcellbattles.com.

Thanks,

Raymond Barglow

World Stem Cell Summit — A Report

Category: General — By: Raymond on September 26, 2008 at 6:15 pm

This report comes to us from Don Reed. I missed the conference myself, but this report provides some compensation for that absence!

Raymond Barglow

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BACKSTAGE AT THE WORLD STEM CELL SUMMIT

Folks:

As anyone who has attended a Bernie Siegel stem cell extravaganza can verify, attendees get more than they could hope for. This year’s World Stem Cell Summit was no exception. Every year I think, this is the ultimate, can’t get any better than this; but it does. Bernie has put on events at the United Nations, Stanford, Berkeley, Harvard, and this year the American birthplace of embryonic stem cell research, Madison, Wisconsin.—the Summit deserves its own book (and in fact had one there, to which I contributed a story, “How to Pass a Stem Cell Law”) —but I just don’t have the hours it deserves to write a full description.

Here, then, are only a few impressions.

Dropping off my luggage at the Sheraton Hotel, (being a speaker, I got my room paid for, otherwise I would be Motel Six-ing it as usual), I hurried for the bus—

–to the Governor’s mansion.

How classy is that?

On the drive over, I realized I had missed out on the Lab at the Lake, a hands-on-easy-to-understand tour through stem cell realities. The Summit’s goal was something for everyone: the Lab at the Lake meant folks had a chance to talk with world class scientists as well as personally adjusting a high-power microscope to see stem cells for themselves.

So, anyway, the Governor of Wisconsin had invited us to visit in his official residence. (Read on …)

Stem Cells in California – How Have They Fared Over the Past Four Years?

Category: General — By: Raymond on September 3, 2008 at 9:12 am

Science begins in human wonder before the immensity and complexity of the natural world, but then becomes appropriated by social interests that apply its discoveries in humane as well as inhumane ways. So we are right to pay attention to the ethics that underly the development of new technologies. One of the most promising, but also one of the most controversial scientific applications today is the use of stem cells to help us understand and remedy terrible illnesses.

In 2004 California voters overwhelmingly approved Proposition 71, the “Stem Cell Research and Cures Initiative.” This measure authorizes the state of California to invest $3 billion in stem cell research, with the aim of healing diseases and injuries such as Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, juvenile diabetes, MS, ALS, spinal cord injury, and some forms of cancer and heart disease. (Read on …)

The stem cell research predicament in California

Category: General — By: Raymond on August 13, 2008 at 9:28 am

Dear friends of stem cell research.

Here in California we continue to struggle to overcome obstacles to the research. The latest obstacle is a proposal in the state legislature by the name of "Senate Bill 1565."

As you may know, California voters have chosen to fund stem cell research to the tune of 3 billion dollars in this state. The aim here is to fund projects that really will help the research fulfill its life-saving promise. But some of the politicians in Sacramento (the state capital) believe that they should be the ones who control the purse-strings and advance their own partisan agendas.

Here’s a message from Don Reed, an outspoken activist on this issue:

When a submarine goes under, it groans. The ocean squeezes in with a pressure of tons, and the sub’s metal walls grind and strain– and the life of every sailor aboard is at risk.

What if a submarine was built with a structural weakness? Cruising across the surface, the vessel makes a great appearance. Nothing seems wrong. But there is a design flaw, a faulty joining of the metal plates, and when the submarine dives to its working depth, 200 feet down, the cumulative pressure of tons of sea will burst through the walls.

Senate Bill 1565 (Kuehl, Runner) has a fatal flaw, and to let it go forward would be as wrong as sending sailors out in a sub with a hole in it. (Read on …)

REMEMBER IN NOVEMBER: Why We Need a Stem Cell-conscious President

Category: General — By: Raymond on July 26, 2008 at 12:39 am

Dear stemblog readers. I’m passing this eloquent message along to you. It’s author is Don Reed.

Imagine you’re Indiana Jones and you’re sliding down a mountain on a raft because you fell out of an airplane and the good news is you’re alive and the bad news is the mountain is a volcano which hasn’t erupted for centuries, but guess what?

It is almost like a joke, sometimes, when life throws too much bad news at you, or your loved ones.

Like my friend Ken, or my wife’s cousin, or my sister: all in medical emergencies over the past few days.

Ken and I grew up together, having adventures together too numerous to name. So, when he had the operation on his throat scheduled, naturally I wanted to be at the hospital.

(Read on …)

FDA Stem Cell Hearings — Who’s Pulling the Strings?

Category: General — By: Raymond on April 29, 2008 at 6:14 pm

On April 10 and 11, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) held its first hearings on embryonic stem cell research.

The transcript of what was said is not yet available. But the briefing document provided to the public is not at all reassuring. On the contrary, it seems to politicize the research and may even threaten to place manacles upon it.

There’s a good discussion of what is at stake here on Don Reed’s blog: www.stemcellbattles.com. Don is keeping his eye on this (and on so many other matters of urgent interest to patients!), and I expect he’ll tell us about any new developments.

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