Yvonne Perry asked:


There’s a big buzz in the scientific community because President-elect Barack Obama plans to issue an executive order allowing federal funding for blastocystic stem cell research on cell created after 2001.

In an article by Reuters on February 15, 2009, a reporter indicated that stem cells come from cells that must be extracted from human embryos. That implies that these cells are being taken from the womb, and this is simply not true. These cell clusters are cultivated and stored in a laboratory, not in a woman’s body.

Federal funding will not destroy any embryos. The cells used by scientists come from blastocysts leftover from in vitro fertilization. Those cells would have been disposed of anyway, unless they are adopted by another couple! The freezer life of these cells are not eternal, so while we are waiting for a reversal, a decision is being made. We have decided that these cells are better off in the trash than they would be if used for research that could help millions of living human beings. A sad commentary for all of us-especially conservatives who consider themselves as pro-life. Allowing sick and injured people to die does not save babies or blastocysts.

The Bush Administration did not ban research on all blastocyst cells. In 2001, President George Bush hampered stem cell research by restricting government funding on embryonic stem cell research to the stem cell lines created prior to April 2001. Therefore, Bush is not a hero for saving poor little embryos that were on the chopping block. Those cells are still being discarded. Instead, he delayed research that could have advanced science to a point where we could have seen cures for many illnesses by now.

Blastocysts created prior to 2001 used old technology cultivated with mouse feeder cells and only represent a limited cross-section of the population. Newer technology without mouse cells is easier to work with and represents better diversity. Obama’s reversal of Bush’s veto will still mean we are eight years behind schedule, and that people have had to suffer (and die) for a religious cause based on a misinformed opinion rather than scientific fact.

Brooke Ellison asked:


The complex field of stem cell research is expanding at a remarkable rate, but public understanding of this topic is still growing. With so much information to be learned, and equally as much information available, it can be difficult to find legitimate and localized sources. Our goal is to make this information easily accessible and understandable so you, too, can be on the forefront of this cutting edge research.

One of the most basic questions in this research is two-fold: What are stem cells and where do they come from? Stem cells, like other types of cells, are found throughout the body, but they have two very unique characteristics. 1) they have the ability to divide into other types of cells and 2) they can replicate themselves for long amounts of time. So what exactly does that mean?

If we go back to the basics, all of our organs, in all parts of our body, are made of cells. In fact, there are over 200 different types of cells in the human body. There are cells that make up our skin, our bones, our blood… everything. While ordinary cells divide to create a copy of themselves, what makes stem cells so unique is their ability to divide into all of the 200+ types of cells as well as a copy of themselves.

Even though these cells can be found throughout the body, there are specific places where they are localized, and they are therefore named based on their organ of origin. Embryonic stem cells (es cells) are the type that has generated the most attention and controversy, but also the most excitement. Once an egg has been fertilized, it goes through a very rapid division process. After about three days, the structure that started as one cell, has divided into a structure of about 100 cells, called a blastocyst. A blastocyst looks almost like a microscopic version of a walnut, with a diameter less than that of a strand of human hair. Es cells are obtained by extracting the “inner cell mass” from the inside of the blastocyst. These cells are then placed in culture, which allows them to divide and replicate. They are described as pluripotent, meaning they can replicate themselves infinitely and have the unique ability to be coaxed into differentiating into all types of cells in the human body.

A common misconception is the idea that es cells come from fetuses or babies. As previously described, es cells come from a blastocyst, which is neither a fetus nor a baby; a blastocyst it is an early-stage embryo. The controversy surrounding embryonic stem cells centers on the ethical question as to when a human life begins, however a vast majority of individuals don’t attribute the same moral status to this blastocyst as to a living human.

The other major type of stem cell is collectively called adult stem cells, which are found in various locations throughout the human body, as well as in umbilical cord blood. These adult stem cells can be classified further depending on where in the body they come from. For instance, cardiac stem cells were recently discovered in the heart and neural stem cells are found in the nervous system. What makes adult stem cells different from embryonic is that they are multipotent, in that they can arguably only differentiate into a limited number of cell types, notably cells from which they were originally extracted. Adult stem cells have been in use for several decades, however largely only to treat blood disorders, as many of these have been found in bone marrow where blood is made. On the other hand, as discussed, es cells have the unique ability to differentiate into any kind of cell type, highlighting their vast potential in treating disease and becoming cell replacements.

Recently, new technological advances have opened up the possibility to create embryonic and embryonic-like stem cells through processes called somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) and cellular reprogramming (IPS). The results highlight the exciting and dynamic nature of this field. At the same time though, they all offer something unique and must be studied together in order to find cures and treatments to disease.

Mia Savarino asked:


Plastic surgeons and their patients have personally witnessed the benefits of utilizing adult stem cells in their procedures. The Obama Administration’s recent reversal of eight years of stem cell research restrictions points to revolutionary era of medical innovation.

Many people do not realize that stem cells have been utilized in plastic surgery for decades now. Fat carries a good number of adult stem cells which have been utilized in modern plastic surgery procedures such as fat grafting, fat transfers and fat injections. Patients who receive fat injections from me look unbelievably younger in their one year follow-up. The reason is, the stem cells in the fat injections bond with the patient’s tissues in their face, adding to lost bone and muscle tissue while improving the quality of the skin.

With the Obama Administration embracing and allowing further research into this revolutionary medical technology, the sky is now the limit. The recent lift of stem cell research restrictions by President Barack Obama has been heralded by stem cell researchers across the nation. The action has reversed an eight year research ban and, to many, signifies the coming of a new era of potential cures for many debilitating diseases like diabetes, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s and many cancers. Among the advocates for stem cell research and technology are plastic surgeons who have seen the benefits of stem cell use first hand.

Stem cells are special cells that have the ability to become other types of cells, like skin, bone, nerve, or muscle tissues. Embryonic stem cells are the most well-known and controversial type. But there are other stem cells in the body called adult stem cells. Fat transfers and fat injections involve harvesting fat, sometimes called adipose tissue, from unwanted areas of the patient’s body. This harvested tissue is then injected into areas of the face to fill in wrinkles and areas that typically lose tissue mass as a result of aging. This method of injecting filler is often considered safer than other methods because the patient’s own tissue is being used.

Surgeons noticed unexpected benefits in their fat transfer patients. In Europe, surgeons process the fat to get a high concentration of stem cells. This supercharged stem cell fat is then used to rejuvenate the skin and the face. Fat stem cells have even been used in reconstructive plastic surgery. In 2004, surgeons in Germany used stems cells from fat tissue of a seven year old girl to help repair major damage to her skull. The large hole in the skull is now replaced by solid bone. In 2006, researchers in UCLA announced successfully transforming adult fat stem cells into smooth muscle cells, which help the normal function of a large number of organs like the intestine, bladder and arteries.

Since 2004, The Patients Advantage is fast becoming the largest matchmaker of board-certified plastic surgeons in the world and is recognized as a leading information source on cosmetic and reconstructive plastic surgery – matching over 9,000 people with plastic surgeons.

Gerald Armstrong asked:


Did you know that aging begins at 30! And every second somewhere in the world someone turns 50! And the quality of life for the average person stops at age 51. After that, it takes medical intervention to manage their symptoms to maintain their “health”. And only 1 in 10,000 people makes it to 100 years old… and a shocking proportion of those people who reach the age of 100 are very poor! “Aging is a barbarick phenomenon that shouldn’t be tolerated in polite society,” says University of Cambridge gerentologist Aubrey de Grey. I Gerald Armstrong the owner of Gen Cells Cures agree. The stem cell research including therapeutic cloning and genomics research needs to bo done now to accomplish our goal of finding the cure for old age.

Why doesn’t everyone want the cure for old age? You tell me I simply don’t understand why more people don’t want the cure for old age. So little money goes into research to cure old age that it’s a crying shame! Maybe it’s because people don’t believe it can be done. Since the dawn of time there have always been critics and skeptics who sit at the sidelines and say it can’t be done or that we are pushing snake oil cures etc. Make no mistake about it Gen Cells Cures has our critics. Food for thought about skeptics and critics: The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has limits. Albert Einstein. Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistingushable from magic. Arthur C. Clark. We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark; the real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light. Plato. Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I’m not sure about the former. Albert Einstein. Science commits suicide when it adopts a creed. Thomas Henry Huxley. In questions of science, the authority of a thousand is not worth the humble reasoning of a single individual. Galileo Galilei.

Main stream scientists are sometimes afraid to get involved in serious gerentology for fear of being branded whackos. Well. let me give it to you straight fom the horses mouth the technologies are now here to do the job. They are in our very own hands. I want to remind you that when Neil Armstrong (I like to call him Uncle Neil) became the first human to step foot on the moon, on July 20, 1969 I knew that humans would live to be 200 years old and beyond with just a little research. However since 1969 serious gerentology has been put on the back burner. Only in the past five years or so has the science of gerentolgy began to accelerate with the discovery of stem cells, cloning and rapid advances in genomics. With todays science nothing is impossible.

Lets talk about 1969 for one second, Viet Nam, Flower Power, free love, a new generation, my generation, we thought we would live forever, and we didn’t trust any one over thirty. I was right there in Hait Ashbury. I know the younger generations since then have envied our time and they should, it was the life! Jimi Hendrix’s guitar was screaming “All Along The Watchtower” and we still had Elvis too! Well, I am a baby bomer and want some of it back. Yes, I am young for 55 but I can see what’s coming around the corner for me and my fellow hippies from 1969 (If they are still alive). And it isn’t pretty. No matter what generation your from, just stop and imagine for one moment what it would be like to have your youth back. Have you ever noticed how time flys like a jet airplane. Something has got to be done and we are going to do it right here in the labs at Gen Cell Cures.

How are we going to find the cure for old age?

Through stem cell research including therapeutic cloning and genomics research.The most difficult part of the nearly unthinkable has already been done. Through therapeutic cloning technologies we can take a patients cell back to the beginning of life. Now all that’s lacking is to perfect these technologies and take them from the bench to the patient. The Koreans human cloning experiments have opened the door wider on therapeutic cloning. We here at Gen Cells Cures have found that the Korean’s new technique of squeezing out the DNA from the egg cell works much better than sucking out the DNA with a tiny needle. Their cloning process was a spectacular achievememt.

Our biologists can re-set your aging clock. It’s just a matter of time. Take a look at your own clock. What time is it? What year is it? How old am I? Where has my life gone? If you want to get the staight scoop on aging contact Miller Quarles of the “Curing Old Age Foundation” or ask Harry Bernstein (“How Do I Move On Without My Soulmate?” Newsweek). From King Tut to Howard Hughes we all face the same dread …No matter how well we succeed in life, we’re all fated to loose it in the end to that pitiless serial killer- old age.

So is Gen Cells Cures suggesting there is a cure right now? Absolutely not, and the anti-aging clinics may be just a little bit ahead of their time. We do disagree with some mainstream scientists in that they do not believe aging can be researched as a disease. We believe aging is at the top of list of the deadly incurable diseases that can be cured. The cure is just around the corner. But the research has to be done and the sooner the better because time waits for no one, no matter how big your wallet is. If you don’t reach into your wallet and do the right thing. Sooner or later you won’t even be able to lift a finger to write the check. Age can and will kill you. Make no mistake about it aging is a disease to be feared. Yes, the disease of aging brings out the fear of God. However, I believe God wouldn’t have given us the ability to cure aging if he didn’t want us to find the cure. Scientists have succeeded in extending the life of some model organisms and humans are next. Currently there is no magic pill. The magic pill will be found in research and to accelerate that research we are recomending private research. You have a family doctor and other specialists. The time has arrived for you to have your own life-sciences researchers. The future is in stem cell research, therapeutic cloning and gernomics!.

Growing old is not all fun. We’re proned to rheumatism, gout, vision loss, hearing loss, and worst of all sexual disfuntion. Some need new knees, new hips, a pacemaker. Aging can be cured the same as any other disease. There is a lack of funds and public support for genuine ant-aging research. Many people tend to see Cancer and Alzheimer’s disease as theoreticaly curable, like polio, but aging as inevitable. There will always be the nay sayers until the cure arrives. We are very excited about the future possibilities from our specialzed research. What good is it if we find your cancer cure, heart disease cure, or stroke cure if we just turn around and let you die from old age. Those of us who have become convinced that aging is the root of nearly all late-life illnesses have not yet won over those of you who have the power to fund further research. For those of you who can see the light at the end of the tunnel for curing old age as we see it clearly shining on the other side of that tunnel may contact Gerald Armstrong from Gen Cells Cures. We can discuss your personal involvement in the cure for old age and other incurable diseases. Yes, even one person can make a difference in our futures and that one person could be you.

Article by Gerald Armstrong- scientist0707@yahoo.com Gerald is the owner of Gen Cells Cures Visit his group for information about “the cure” for incurable diseases and aging. Group address http://www.msnusers.com/cures

You have my permission to publish this article electronically or in print, free of charge, as long as the bylines are included. A courtesy copy of your publication would be appreciated.

Sowjanya S asked:


Suddenly, stem cells are everywhere. Once referred to mostly in health journals, these microscopic clusters have made their way into news, research reports, business reports etc. The complexity surrounding these relatively simple cells has increased every second.

Recent studies suggest these cells may hold the secret to treatment, even cures for some of our most inexplicable diseases, including Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.

Embryonic stem cells are controversial. They come from the inner cell mass of a blastocyst (term for a fertilized egg). At the heart of the stem cell debate is a battle – over abortion as, these are cells from embryos. According to the religious orthodoxy, an embryo is life. But these cells also hold great promise for millions of ailing patients and their families. Moreover, many of the embryos would otherwise be unceremoniously discarded.

Until very recently, the vast majority of stem cells used in research came from discarded (or excess) embryos stored at in-vitro fertilization clinics. If potential parents decide against having more children, scientists working with stem cells might ask them to consider donating the unneeded embryos to research.

Adult stem cells taken from the blood or organs of healthy adults have recently demonstrated an unexpected adaptability in lab experiments. But these cells are marginally helpful to scientists, and do not show the same promise as those culled from embryos. Adult cells are fairly set in their ways, and don’t seem to grow or replicate themselves as quickly as their younger counterparts.

New techniques for gathering the cells are in quiet development; scientists are generally wary of disclosure, because public reaction is difficult to predict. Revelations that scientists at a privately-funded fertility clinic are growing human embryos with the intent of harvesting stem cells have provoked widespread hand-wringing, among both advocates and opponents of stem cell research. Advocates worry that publicizing such a blatant and systematic cell harvesting procedure can only harden hearts against the science; in the crude terms of public relations, using stem cells from discarded embryos is one thing, but purposefully creating an embryo only to dismantle it is something else altogether. Opponents of the research see the clinic’s methodology as the best indication yet that we are carelessly sliding down the slippery slope of destroying human life in order to advance our scientific curiosity.

www.BrandPrinciples.com

Don Margolis asked:


Wales native, Michael Epps was just a normal 21 year old, playing soccer everyday while working in a warehouse. In 2007, unfortunately, for no apparent reason, Michael started suffering from horrible pains throughout his body. The doctors examined him thoroughly and gave him the dreaded diagnosis of Motor Neurone Disease.

A disease that normally occurs in people over the age of 60, Epps is believed to be one of the youngest patients ever to suffer from Motor Neurone Disease. The complications of Motor Neurone Disease include muscle deterioration, loss of mobility, and the disease eventually affects the ability to breathe, speak, and swallow.

Luckily, Michael’s parents came up with a plan. After doing some stem cell research on the internet, they saw that adult stem cells were helping patients with similar conditions to Michael’s. Therefore, when Michael’s sister Rhys was born, they froze the umblicial cord stem cells extracted from the cord blood. Later on, the cord blood stem cells along with Michael went to China where a stem cell doctor implanted the matching cord blood stem cells into Michael’s spinal cord.

It took almost 6 months, but eventually Michael began to see signs of improvement. These days, although not yet 100%, Michael’s condition has stopped deteriorating and now he is actually improving. There is much more definition in his muscles and he doesn’t need a wheelchair anymore.

Michael’s doctors believed Michael would have died in March 2008 and while the future is still unknown for Michael, he has plenty of hope now and is still trying to improve his quality of life.