Posted on 08/18/2006 9:36:38 PM PDT by Coleus
A Ho-Ho-Kus boy's stem cells could help scientists find a better treatment for juvenile diabetes. Doctors have been injecting Liam Tencza with stem cells taken from the umbilical cord blood his parents saved when he was born seven years ago. The hope is that the stem cells can slow – or even stop -- the progress of his diabetes. Seven other diabetic children are receiving similar transplants of stem cells from their own umbilical cords in a national pilot study at the University of Florida. There is no cure for juvenile, or type 1, diabetes, which afflicts more than 1.5 million Americans, including 125,000 children. The autoimmune disease destroys insulin-producing cells in the pancreas. Left untreated, patients can lapse into a coma or suffer kidney failure.
Cord blood, which is rich in stem cells, can be extracted from the umbilical cord in the minutes after a baby's birth and stored in blood banks. These stem cells are now routinely being used to treat cancer and dozens of other blood disorders. There is so much anticipation that stem cells can be effective in fighting juvenile diabetes that the lead doctor in the study says he spends a lot of time on the phone cautioning parents to keep their expectations realistic.
| childrenwithdiabetes.com |
"It's important not to destroy their hope," said Dr. Michael J. Haller, a pediatric endocrinologist. "Everybody wants to cure diabetes. But this is a pilot study. It's unlikely to be the Holy Grail." But it has helped Liam Tencza. Before the infusion of stem cells, his blood glucose levels were rising and doctors were saying he would soon need regular injections of insulin. After the infusion, his blood glucose levels decreased. His body is fighting off the progression of the disease. Liam, a plucky second-grader who loves sports and playing the electric guitar, was diagnosed with diabetes in December after a routine urine test detected excessive glucose. He was diagnosed early, during the so-called "honeymoon" phase of the disease, when a diabetic's body still makes some insulin, a hormone that regulates the body's metabolism of carbohydrates, including glucose. "There's no magic pill to stop the process," said Liam's father, Steven. "As parents, you feel you're helpless. You see what's happening to your child." Liam's mother discovered the Florida stem cell study last winter while spending one of many sleepless nights researching juvenile diabetes on the Web. Beth Tencza remembered that she had paid to have Liam's cord blood stored at Community Blood Services in Paramus when he was born.
She enrolled her son in the four-year clinical trial. "We feel God was with us," she said. The Tencza family flew to Florida and visited SeaWorld and the Kennedy Space Center as a treat before taking Liam for his transplant at the university in Gainesville. "You've got to have some sugar with your medicine," Steven Tencza said. Liam had blood drawn, then received the stem cells in an intravenous infusion that took just a half-hour. Liam's own cord blood must be used to avoid rejection of the stem cells by his body, which would happen even with stem cells from a parent or sibling, Haller said. Three boys and five girls, between 3 and 7 years old, are in the clinical trial, which aims to enroll a total of 10 or more children, he said.
Haller said some families may balk at joining the study because it requires using all of a child's cord blood, which means they won't have any left if the child gets another disease. This could change when storage facilities begin keeping cord blood in more than one vial, and improve freezing and thawing processes that tend to destroy cells, he said. Researchers may also develop methods, similar to cloning techniques, to reproduce larger amounts of stored stem cells, he said. Since blood banks began storing cord blood in the past decade, it has become increasingly popular among parents who want to keep the blood for use if the child or a relative becomes ill. Taking the blood from the cut umbilical cord takes just a few minutes and costs approximately $1,500. Parents pay about $100 a year to keep the blood in storage.
Cord blood stem cells interest scientists because they are easier to obtain than stem cells from bone marrow and less controversial than stem cells from human embryos, which are opposed by pro-life advocates. They also have more potential than stem cells from bone marrow to develop into specialized cells needed to help a body fight a specific disease. Last year, Richard J. Codey, then governor, created the nation's first public umbilical cord and placental blood banks for research at Community Blood Services of Paramus and at the New Jersey Coriell Institute for Medical Research in Camden. The Florida study seeks to find whether cord blood stem cells can neutralize the autoimmune process, and help regenerate some pancreatic islet cells, which control blood sugar. It is funded by the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and the National Institutes of Health.
To cure diabetes, cord blood stem cells may be combined in the future with other medications, such as immune suppressant drugs, in a mix similar to "cocktails" given to cancer and HIV patients, Haller said. "We're not likely to get enough data to get definitive results to say we're ready to treat all children with diabetes," Haller said. "But hopefully it will generate enough data to support future studies of cord blood with other agents." Meanwhile, the Tenczas are relieved to be able to hold off on having to give their son's insulin shots. "Liam should be getting worse, not better," Steven Tencza said. "You're happy about that, right?" said Liam. "We're absolutely happy," said his father, a medical equipment sales and service engineer. Two of the Steven Tencza's three siblings have diabetes, but he does not. Genetic predisposition and triggers, such as a virus or being overweight, may cause the disease. "We're not saying this is the end-all," Beth Tencza said. "But it gives people hope. That's why stem cell research is so important."
Ok, I understand the debate over stem cell research and it's connection with aborted tissue. But if stem cells can be collected from umbilical chord blood, than why can't the gathering in this manner be certified, and those stem cells used in research? That I don't understand.
Scientist are making great progess in stem cell research. I wish the libs would stop trying to derail it by pushing embryonic stem cell research.
But if stem cells can be collected from umbilical chord blood, than why can't the gathering in this manner be certified, and those stem cells used in research? That I don't understand. >>>
They are being collected and stored all over America. Many states have created and funded Umbilical Cord Registries. Click on "umbilicalcordblood" above in the keywords and read about the current research.
Stem cells can be collected from various 'adult' sources, such as umbilical cords, bone marrow, fat, etc. This is done semi-routinely, both for research and therapy. It is successfully used, currently, in therapy for a few dozen different diseases and conditions. It generally only shows up in local news; the national "MSM" don't want you to know.
Perhaps if our bond money in California could have been spent on preserving umbilical cord at a reasonable cost to parents, instead of billions on embryonic stem cell research, we would have a working program to promote cures for diseases without destroying human beings.
Why not?
Thanks for posting this...
I wish my son and DIL had saved my granddaughter's cord blood...she was diagnosed at 5..and has been taking 3-4 insulin shots a day since then...she is 7 years old today.
I am hoping since they didn't save her cord blood...that perhaps the experiments they have been doing using part of the mother's pancreas to transplant might be something in the future...but, then she would be on drugs to keep from rejecting it...sigh.
Oh, well...she is giving herself her own shots..and tests herself...she is pretty comfortable with it by now.
But if stem cells can be collected from umbilical chord blood, than why can't the gathering in this manner be certified, and those stem cells used in research?
Because that goes totally against the pro-death movement.
I read somewhere years ago that one of the problems with cell replacement (cell transplant, organ transplant, etc) is that someone with Type 1 has something in their blood that targets the healthy cells. This was one of the early problems with transplants. The patient would do well for some years, then the body would again start attacking the healthy cells.
I wonder if the same thing might happen with this since it's blood from the same source?
As soon as she's old enough, get her on the pump. It will change her life and give her freedom she hasn't known in awhile. It also helps reverse some damage. I can't stress enough how much it will increase normalcy in her life.
1) If they wanted you to know, they'd tell you ... they don't talk about it, therefore they want to make you ignorant. Fortuately, we have FR ...
2) In My Opinion: Support for "Embryonic Stem Cell Research" really has nothing to do with finding a cure for anything. It has everything to do with finding a socially palatable excuse for cloning and abortion. The Left (including the MSM) is in love with death; they think of abortion as a positive good, and will jump at any excuse to extoll the practice. Conversely, any information which would tend to contradict their view of abortion as a positive good is not to be reported, and in fact must be suppressed. Consequently, we see an endless parade of editorialism extolling the 'promise' of embryonic stem cell research , but news of the real world success of adult stem cell research and therapy gets downplayed or ignored outright.
Like you, I am extremely puzzled by the left's insistence on pushing embryonic stem cell research. I understand how they, having no problem with abortion, could have originally supported it when it was thought to hold promise for treatment. But now, given the huge failure and disaster of using it, contrasted with the miracle successes that come from umbilical and bone marrow stem cell research, really has me scratching my head.
bump to your #2. You said that much better than me.
C'mon, you're a freeper, you don't know the agenda of the MSM?
You've hit on a second issue: whatever the subject, the leftist press hates to admit error. Ever. They'll do it if absolutely forced (See Dan Rather: Fake TANG Memos, or crAP and fauxtoshopped war images from Lebanon for example), but if they can even sort of get away with denying their history of misrepresentation, false prediction, fabrication, distortion and dissembling, they will.
bump & a ping
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