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Stem Cells An Unlikely Therapy for Alzheimer's Reagan-Inspired Zeal For Study Continues
The Washington Post ^ | June 10, 2004 | Rick Weiss

Posted on 06/20/2004 2:17:03 PM PDT by Coleus

Edited on 06/20/2004 2:19:51 PM PDT by Admin Moderator. [history]

Ronald Reagan's death from Alzheimer's disease Saturday has triggered an outpouring of support for human embryonic stem cell research. Building on comments made by Nancy Reagan last month, scores of senators on Monday called upon President Bush to loosen his restrictions on the controversial research, which requires the destruction of human embryos. Patient groups have also chimed in, and Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) on Tuesday added his support for a policy review.

It is the kind of advocacy that researchers have craved for years, and none wants to slow its momentum.

But the infrequently voiced reality, stem cell experts confess, is that, of all the diseases that may someday be cured by embryonic stem cell treatments, Alzheimer's is among the least likely to benefit.

"I think the chance of doing repairs to Alzheimer's brains by putting in stem cells is small," said stem cell researcher Michael Shelanski, co-director of the Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain at the Columbia University Medical Center in New York, echoing many other experts. "I personally think we're going to get other therapies for Alzheimer's a lot sooner."

(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Constitution/Conservatism; Culture/Society; Extended News; Foreign Affairs; Government; News/Current Events; Philosophy; Politics/Elections; Technical
KEYWORDS: alzheimers; escr; nancyreagan; reagan; ronaldreagan; ronreagan; stemcells
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To: MHGinTN

...Seems Dr. Frist forgot about that fact. All organisms strive, sruggle to survive at inception, and only the living can terminate it...


21 posted on 06/20/2004 7:13:43 PM PDT by gargoyle
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To: Coleus; JoeSixPack1; MHGinTN; cpforlife.org; Mr. Silverback

The research in embryonic stem cells is all about cloning, and cloning is all about designer babies and living forever. But, the object of the whole thing is "production." Turning people into interchangeable units, made up of smaller interchangeable units available to those who have the power to take.
It's all about power, over ourselves and others, and - like the images of God that we are - to re-create ourselves and our children and our world.

The horrible thing is that, since we are not God, since we are fallible (and, some of us believe, fallen, as shown by the fact that there are always flaws and even booby traps in everything in the world and in everything we do), the way the re-creation is proposed is by turning those units into less than human. They are less than human if they can be killed at the whim of other humans for their usefulness as parts.

If the parts are interchangeable units and we are not inseparable beings, if we are not to be valued as whole, then we are no better than machines.

The whole is better than parts.

(Okay, I'm watching "I, Robot" on TV. It's a shame Dr. Assimov didn't really "get it.")


22 posted on 06/20/2004 7:58:08 PM PDT by hocndoc (Choice is the # 1 killer in the US)
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To: MHGinTN
As far as I'm aware, there is no definitive word on a correlation between smoking and Parkinson's or Alzheimers.

I do not know about "definitive word" but negative correlation is there.

23 posted on 06/21/2004 5:21:35 AM PDT by A. Pole ("When they start beheading your own people[...], then you will know what this is all about." - Slobo)
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To: 2nd amendment mama; A2J; Agitate; Alouette; Annie03; aposiopetic; attagirl; axel f; Balto_Boy; ...
ProLife Ping!

If anyone wants on or off my ProLife Ping List, please notify me here or by freepmail.

24 posted on 06/21/2004 5:59:04 AM PDT by Mr. Silverback (Pre-empt the third murder attempt: Pray for Terri Schindler-Schiavo!)
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To: Mr. Silverback

bttt


25 posted on 06/22/2004 2:55:10 AM PDT by lainde (Heads up...We're coming and we've got tongue blades!!)
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