FREE THE STEM CELLS

   SOURCES OF STEM CELLS

   There is a controversy in the public dialogue over which stem cells are the most promising.  

   Some critics claim that embryonic stem cell research is not necessary, and suggest that

   adult stem cells can do everything that is needed to cure disease. Scientists today,

   however, are greatly encouraged that eventually, many diseases will be successfully treated

   using embryonic stem cells while others will be treated with the use of adult or umbilical cord

   blood stem cells.

     "Although stem cell research is on the cutting edge of biological science today, it is still in its infancy. Studies of both embryonic and adult stem cells will be required to most efficiently advance

the scientific and therapeutic potential of regenerative medicine."  - National Academy of Sciences

     EMBRYONIC STEM CELLS, just as their name  suggests,  are derived from   

     microscopic, 5 – 7 day-old embryos. Rather than being a heart, muscle, brain

     or other specific cell type, these primitive cells contain all the information that is

     needed to create any cell type of the human body—a quality that scientists call

     pluripotency. The ability to turn into any cell types makes these cells the most

     sought-after by scientists.  Other qualities that make embryonic stem cells

     valuable is that they are highly energetic, can multiply themselves in great

     numbers, and do not suffer from any of the genetic “wear and tear” of adult cells.

     It is hoped that embryonic stem cells will eventually be used to generate a huge  

     number of different replacement cells for people suffering from a large array of   

     diseases, injuries and birth defects.

     ADULT STEM CELLS are found in various organs of the fully developed human

     body. These cells are slightly more differentiated than embryonic stem cells,

     meaning that they can give rise to a limited number of other cell types. For       

     example, a neural stem cell can produce neurons and several other nerve cell

     types, but it cannot give rise to blood or bone cells. Scientists continue to

     discover adult stem cells in different parts of the body, but it is believed that

     some organs may not produce adult stem cells at all. Another limitation of adult   

     stem cells is that they are hard to isolate and to grow in lab dishes, meaning that

     it is difficult to produce the large numbers of cells that are needed for a cellular

     transplant. Adult cells can also exhibit some genetic damage, which would make

     them more vulnerable to age-related diseases such as cancer.

    UMBILICAL CORD BLOOD is a recently discovered source of stem cells. But

    contrary to what many people believe, the stem cells in umbilical cord blood are

    not embryonic stem cells—they are considered to be adult stem cells. Although   

    some recent studies have suggested that these cells can be influenced to behave

    in more flexible ways than other adult stem cells, this research has yet to be

    confirmed. What is known about umbilical cord blood cells is that they have a

    similar capacity to the stem cells found in bone marrow, and can give rise to

    several different cell types.

    FETAL GERM CELLS harbor stem cells that are highly versatile, but it is not known 

    for sure whether these cells artruly pluripotent. These cells are found in early-stage

    fetusesof about 4 – 6 weeks of development, after the termination or miscarriage

    of a pregnancy. These cells are useful for experimentation, but they have not

    proven to be as versatile as embryonic cells. Scientists can gain access to the

    tissue that houses these cells through universities and tissue banks after the

    decision has been made to terminate a pregnancy and the tissue has been donated

    for research.

"The very best scientists in the world, the most responsible scientists in the world, are

in favor of embryonic stem cell research. They feel that this is the dawning of a new

era of better understanding about the mechanisms of disease, about drug development

to treat disease, and most interestingly, about the possibility of restorative therapy, of replacing cells that have degenerated. This is different from symptomatic therapy, and

if it’s true, it can cause a revolution in medicine that will have implications worldwide."

   • The number one killer in America is Heart Disease, followed by Cancer as the leading cause of death in the United States. HIV/AIDS trails closely behind.

   • Every 34 seconds a person in the U.S. dies from cardiovascular complications.

   •   Approximately 14,000 people contract HIV every day.

   •  This year alone 570,280 Americans will die from cancer. Heart attacks, chemotherapy and deterioration of one’s body come with the territory.

   • Spinal Muscular Atrophy, a not so known neuromuscular condition, is the top genetic killer of children under the age of two. Children can't roll, walk, turn, eat or drink but have brilliant minds.1 in every 40 people carry this gene, while 1 in every 6,000 children are born with SMA.

   • Diabetes, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, Sickle Cell Anemia and Lupus are a variety of painful diseases that millions of Americans deal with on a daily basis. Sustained by doctor visits and ongoing doses of medications and injections to keep those diagnosed alive, for some it’s manageable, for others it’s a slow death that eventually gets the best of you.

   • Over 18 million people in the U.S. have diabetes, over 1 million have Parkinson’s, 4.5 million have Alzheimer’s, 72,000 are affected by Sickle Cell Anemia and 1.5 million have Lupus.

   •  For those afflicted with Spinal Cord Injuries, Multiple Sclerosis and Lou Gehrig's disease (ALS), paralysis is not just another word in the dictionary. Numbness, blindness and loss of control over one’s body becomes a way of life. Walking becomes something you observe from a wheelchair. Every year approximately 11,000 new spinal cord injuries are reported. An estimated 400,000 Americans have MS, while approximately 30,000 people in the United States have the fatal neuromuscular disease named after sports legend Lou Gehrig. These disorders attack the central nervous system and they attack them hard.

       The vast majority of scientists maintain that only through research on all types

                                         to harness the curative potential of stem cells in general.