# 399 Tuesday, December 18, 2007 - NEW STEM CELLS: IP for Induced Pluripotent (iP), and Intensely Political?
Using viruses and genes, scientists Shinya Yamanaka, Junying Yu, and Jamie Thomson recently reprogrammed skin cells into embryonic-like stem cells.
The new method, Induced Pluripotent Stem (iPS) cell research, may turn out to be hugely important, or not, or something in the middle. Not only the scientific world, but also millions of sufferers of chronic disease are eager to know its real value, as the new technique begins the long months and years of necessary testing, scrutiny and research.
Unfortunately, ideological groups are attempting to use the new method as an excuse to shut down embryonic stem research, while crediting its known opponents.
Chief among the latter is President George Bush, who twice vetoed the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act, and who supported jail sentences and million dollar fines for scientists involved with nuclear transfer, an advanced form of stem cell research.
Suddenly, Mr. Bush was being heaped with praise by conservatives, crediting for having somehow inspired the new research. Typical was the Discovery Institute's Wesley Smith:
"So thank you for your courageous leadership, Mr. President. ` we now have the very real potential of developing thriving and robust stem-cell medicine' that will bridge, rather than exacerbate, our moral differences over the importance and meaning of human life.", National Review, "Bush Bears Fruit", 11/20/2007
The Catholic Conference of Bishops has called upon the state of
Are they right? The following is a brief (10 pages) compendium of quotes from expert witnesses.
"STANDING IN THE WAY OF STEM CELL RESEARCH' ."
"We are disappointed that what should be used as a hopeful step forward for the over 100 million patients with incurable diseases and conditions is being used as a political tool to obstruct progress. (emphasis added) ` it is short-sighted and misleading to claim that (the) work obviates the need for further research. ' these discoveries provide the most compelling reason to date for the overturn of the Presidential veto and enactment of the widely supported Stem Cell Research Act' we don't really know what all the capabilities of embryonic stem cells are yet, so saying reprogrammed cells have those capabilities is premature."
--Alan I. Leshner, chief executive, American Association for Advancement of Science, and James A. Thomson, pioneering stem cell researcher.
WAS GEORGE BUSH RIGHT?
(An article claimed that) "George Bush was right, that we have now found a way to create `a magical stem cell that can become bone or brain or heart or liver' without using human embryos.
"It is not true. (emphasis added) It is not even close to true.
"The greatest loss of all would be if these exciting new discoveries were allowed to create the false belief that research opposed by the Bush administration, research involving ` embryonic stem cells'from frozen embryos that would otherwise have been discarded, was no longer necessary'
"The only voices saying that these new discoveries have made the debate over stem cell research moot are the voices that were opposed to (the) research all along."
--Susan L. Solomon, CEO, New York Stem Cell Foundation, and Zach W. Hall, former President, California Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Huffington Post, 11/30/07
POLITICAL "CREDIT" FOR OPPONENTS OF RESEARCH?
"I really don't think anybody ought to take credit in light of the six-year delay (emphasis added) we've had' My own view is that science ought to be unfettered and that every possible alternative ought to be explored.' if we can find something which is certifiably equivalent to embryonic stem cells, fine. But we are not there yet."---
Senator Arlen Specter, (R-PA) NY Times, 11/21/07
BUSH POLICY DELAYS STEM CELL ADVANCE?
"My feeling is that the political controversy set the field back about four or five years." (Bush's funding limits) "represented very bad public policy as far as I'm concerned. The field has been much slower taking off than it would have been otherwise."
--Dr. James Thomson, generally considered the founder of embryonic stem cell research, and a co-author of the iP stem cell procedure.
PLAYING POLITICS WITH STEM CELL RESEARCH?
"` Opponents of embryonic stem cell research, including President Bush, are already arguing that the skin cell advance should end the use of stem cells derived from human embryos. That would be shortsighted.
"President Bush's stem cell strategy is to deny federal funding for research because it destroys human embryos. But his moral objection doesn't apply to hundreds of thousands of human embryos discarded every year in the name of in vitro fertilization.
"` the President and others (have been) playing politics with stem cell research'
, editorial, San Jose Mercury News, 11/27/2007
NO MORE EMBRYONIC? ASK SCIENTIST WHO DID THE EXPERIMENT
One of two principle investigators of the new method, Shinya Yamanaka of
"New Advances in IPS cell research do not obviate the need for Human Embryonic Stem Cells ` it would be a serious mistake to conclude that recent developments in IPS cell research' avert the need for ongoing research on hES (human embryonic stem) cells. Research on IPS cells has barely begun'
"` tumorigenicity (cancer-causing properties--
"..we hold that research into all avenues of human stem cell research must proceed together. Society deserves to have the full commitment of scientific inquiry at its service.
"...inspiration for IPS cell research came from an earlier stem cell study... with hES cells.
' the recent advancements in IPS cell research would not be possible if not it were not for' years of dedicated hES cell research that preceded them. We cannot support that notion that IPS cell research can advance without hES research."
--
IS THE NEW RESEARCH ALL WE NEED?
"Dr. Yamanaka's work' further emphasizes the critical need we have to continue working with naturally occurring human embryonic stem cells, which remain the gold standard (emphasis added) against which all alternative sources of human pluripotent stem cells must be tested' ."
--Dr. Richard Murphy, interim President of the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine.
AND FROM THE
"` Choosing to focus on only one avenue of research or type of cell source, would' be irresponsible, unreasonable, and premature. (emphasis added)
"Promising and successful research exploring human stem cells should be supplemented with, not supplanted by, new and potentially exciting approaches, with all forms of research moving forward along multiple independent paths'
"` no one knows what important discoveries would be missed if we were to' `place all of our eggs in one new basket,' especially if that decision were largely driven by emotional and political expediency."
, William Brinkley, dean of Graduate School of Biomedical Science at Baylor College of Medicine:
HOW ABOUT
"Restricting research' and pushing researchers toward' techniques not fully understood only serves to delay the considerable medical benefits that could lead to cures to some of the most debilitating diseases of our time. With cancer alone killing half a million Americans every year' we don't have time to drag our feet.
--The
"
"It would be foolish to declare "Mission Accomplished" at this point. We just don't know yet whether or not "embryo-like" cells are as good as the real thing. Let us hope that scientists are allowed to find out."
--Rayilyn Brown, Board Member,
HEAD OF NIH STEM CELL TASK FORCE WEIGHS IN
"` the head of the National Institutes of Health stem cell task force said it would be a mistake for scientists to back away from research on embryonic cells. (emphasis added) Dr. Story Landis said the breakthrough with mature cells was possible in part because of earlier work with embryonic cells.
"This does not obviate the need for human embryonic stem cell research", Landis said.
To be able to compare results from the two types of research "is critical", she added.
--
SCIENTISTS "CAN GET JOBS AT MCDONALDS"--??
"Every time we get a headline like this, some policy makers say, "OK, now we can stop funding embryonic research, and you guys can get jobs at McDonalds," said Dr. Evan Snyder, director of the stem cell research center at the Burnham Institute in California,
(adding that)' the genes used to produce (the embryonic-like) cells were discovered through working with natural embryonic stem cells'
"What we find is that each (form of research, dr) informs the other," Snyder said.
"` they need to be tested head-to-head in the exact same animal model to see which is most useful in a particular disease' You may need one type of cell for one disease, and another type of cell for another disease.
"Snyder said Bush's restrictions on embryonic stem cell research actually retarded the breakthrough' perhaps by five years."
--Chicago Tribune, 21 November, 2007, also excerpt from Bradley Fikes North County Times, 11-22-07
WEISSMAN OF STANFORD
"Because we cannot decide in advance which method will get us there first, and because the lives of these patients must be paramount, we should not gamble their lives on one' method."
--Irv Weissman is Director of Stanford's Institute for Cancer/Stem Cell Biology and Medicine, quoted in
"A SERIES OF BIG IFS' "
"The bright future (of iPS cells) depends on a series of big ifs.
"First of all, the function of the reprogrammed cells will have to be compared closely with the function of actual embryonic stem cells. "I'd be surprised if these cells do all the same tricks as stem cells derived from embryos.
"Also, in both experiments, the for-gene recipe was added to the skin cells using a virus as a delivery package. The FDA (Food and Drug Administration) would never allow us to use these virus-identified cells in patients.
"Bottom line: there are very serious hurdles left to overcome. It could still take years to get this to work in humans in a way that could be used clinically."
--Robert Lanza, Advanced Cell Technology, MSNBC.com, 11/20/07, and
PARKINSON'S ADVOCATE MICHAEL J. FOX ON THE NEW RESEARCH
Michael J. Fox said Friday he's excited by recent news that' skin cells have been reprogrammed to act like embryonic stem cells, but lamented the energy and resources being put into this and other alternative approaches.
"The irony is that every big development in this area in the past few years has involved efforts to mimic embryonic stem cells,"' With research that had gone into recreating what everyone agrees is the gold standard, who's to say how close we might be to new treatment now if we had been pressing forward with (embryonic) stem cells the whole time' "
NEW CAMR PRESIDENT SPEAKS OUT
"Amy Comstock Rick, chief executive of the Parkinson's Action Network, (and incoming President of the Coalition for the Advancement of Medical Research, dr)said research on embryonic stem cells was much more advanced. "Unless something has been shown to fail, it should not be taken off the table, and embryonic stem cell research has shown great promise.",
ONE THOUSAND DIFFERENCES'
"` although they closely resemble embryonic stem cells, there are some differences, over a thousand of them, in fact, according to microarray analysis. ` 1,267 genes showed a greater than 5-fold difference in expression between iPS cells and embryonic stem cells' ", Synapse, Hadley Leggett, 12/06/07 (UCSF, site of Dr. Yamanaka's laboratory)
INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY OF STEM CELL RESEARCH POINTS TO CANCER RISK, NEED FOR MORE RESEARCH ON OTHER TECHNIQUES
"The process uses retroviruses to insert genes into somatic cells, and in some cases genes that can cause cancer. Furthermore, the use of viruses to transport the reprogramming genes into the adult human cells causes mutations that predisposes these cells to cancer'
"It is premature to suggest that this approach can replace the derivation of embryonic stem cells from embryos or by nuclear transfer. We believe that research on human embryonic stem cells, somatic cell nuclear transfer and "adult" or tissue-specific stem cells needs to continue in parallel. All are part of a research effort that seeks to expand our knowledge of how cells function, what fails in the disease process, and how the first stages of human development occur. It is this general knowledge that will ultimately generate safe and effective therapies.
--ISSCR Statement on New Advances in Human Pluripotent Stem Cell Research,
Dr. I. Hyun, Chair of the ISSCR Ethics and Public Policy
"` the research uses known cancer-causing genes to reprogram cells and return them to an embryonic-like state," said Dr. Kevin Eggan, NYSCF Scientific Director, "The retroviruses used to introduce these additional genes often turn on cancer genes that are already present.
"It remains to be determined whether reprogramming can be achieved without using cancer-causing genes.
"We must also be certain that the resulting pluripotent stem cells are entirely equivalent to embryonic stem cells," said Dr. Eggan.
--NYSCF, November 20, 2007
`WOULDN'T BE SUITABLE FOR MEDICAL THERAPIES"'
"The new technique wouldn't be suitable for medical therapies because it uses viruses to inject genes into the cells' DNA. Such viruses insert the genes at random locations, sometimes causing mutations' "
, Science news Online, Nov. 24, 2007
KENNEDY'S VIEW
"Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass) hailed the new reports as "extraordinary scientific breakthroughs", but said embryonic stem cell research must continue. "Instead of aiding that fight, the Bush administration is hampering it through needless restrictions on stem cell research and by denying NIH the funds it needs to capitalize on new advances."
,
"Experts stressed more safety work was needed' (citing) potential to cause dangerous side effects' . Retroviruses, (used to) insert therapeutic genes into the DNA of these cells' have the ability to make random changes to DNA elsewhere in the body, which could lead to complications, such as cancer.
(note: in one experiment, roughly 20% of the lab mice died of cancer, dr)
"Retroviruses can disrupt genes that should not be disrupted or activate genes that should not be activated", Professor Azim Surani of
, BBC, MMVII, 12/07/07
HOCHEDLINGER AND HARVARD
"We know little about how to direct an embryonic-like stem cell into' the tissues they need, such as a pancreas cell instead of a nerve cell."
--Konrad Hochedlinger, Ph.D, assistant Professor, Harvard Stem Cell Institute
DOESN'T SHOW WHICH IS BETTER
"The latest research doesn't show which is better, so it would be foolish to abandon SCNT-derived embryonic stem cells," says Robin Lovell-Badge, of he National Institute for Medical Research in
--New Scientist.com news service, 12/06/07
"` ONLY POSSIBLE BECAUSE WE HAD EMBRYONIC STEM CELLS TO WORK WITH' "
"(Dr. Rudy) Jaenisch said the success with iPS cells does not mean that research on human embryonic stem cells should be dropped, as some opponents of the work have asserted.
"All the progress in this field was only possible because we had embryonic stem cells to work with' ," Jaenisch said, "We need to make more embryonic cells and really define which are going to be the best ones for different applications.
--
DON'T THROW OUT THE TOOLBOX
In 2008, if all goes well, an embryonic stem cell therapy will go to human trials, offering hope to newly paralyzed patients.
The work of Dr. Hans Keirstead, originally funded by
The late paralyzed Superman, Christopher Reeve, would have been so proud.
Yes, the new research tool is exciting news for patients and parents, scientists and doctors alike. We all wish the best for iPS research, that it may ease suffering, and save lives.
But we in the patient advocacy community support full stem cell research: adult, embryonic, iSP and nuclear transfer procedures, and none to the exclusion of the others.
However valuable any new tool may be, we must never throw out the toolbox.
--Don C. Reed, co-chair, Californians for Cures, and father of Roman Reed
Open letter from Coalition for the Advancement of Medical Research
December 7, 2007
Dear Member of Congress:
I am writing to you on behalf of the Coalition for the Advancement of Medical Research (CAMR). Our collective membership is comprised of the broad and diverse community that supports the promise of embryonic stem cell research and regenerative medicine to end disease and suffering.
Recent important discoveries in this field have reenergized the debate regarding the continued need for full federal funding, especially for embryonic stem cell research. We assert that these discoveries provide the most compelling reason to date for the overturn of the presidential veto and enactment of the widely supported Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act.
The similar studies of Drs. James Thomson of the
induced pluripotent stem cells. Because the studies use adult skin cells and do not require a human egg or embryo, the discovery has been heralded as an end to the federal stem cell debate.
While we join with the research and medical community in commending Drs. Thomson and Yamanaka, we believe it is short sighted and misleading to claim that their work obviates the need for further research.
Dr. Thomson recently asserted in a Washington Post editorial jointly authored by Dr. Alan I. Leshner, CEO of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, that it is more important than ever to provide unrestricted federal funding for embryonic stem cell research'
We are disappointed that what should be viewed as a hopeful step forward for the over 100 million patients with incurable diseases and conditions is being used as political tool to obstruct scientific progress. We urge you and your colleagues to look beyond the ill-informed arguments that are attempting to divert support for what scientists continue to hail as one of the most promising avenues of biomedical research. On behalf of CAMR and our entire membership, let me assure you that we are united both in our praise to Drs. Thompson and Yamanaka for their incredible discovery and for our continued support for federal funding for embryonic stem cell research. We will continue to work to enact the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act.
Sincerely,
Sean Tipton, President
The Coalition for the Advancement of Medical Research (CAMR) is the nation's leading bipartisan pro-cures coalition. CAMR is comprised of over 100 nationally recognized patient organizations, universities, scientific societies, and foundations advocating for the advancement of breakthrough research and technologies in regenerative medicine. CAMR's advocacy and education outreach focuses on stem cell research, somatic cell nuclear transfer, and related research fields in which the mission is to develop treatments and cures for individuals with life-threatening illnesses and disorders.
Don Reed
www.stemcellbattles
Don C. Reed is co-chair (with Karen Miner) of Californians for Cures, and writes for their web blog, www.stemcellbattles
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