If you think that the stem cell legislation that did not pass kills stem cell research, we invite you to consider a few other ideas. The bill that President Bush vetoed this week just limited federal funding on new stem cell lines. There are older stem cell lines, funded with Federal research dollars, out there in labs right now that people are working on diligently. Furthermore, there are newer stem cell lines funded by private investors, non-governmental organizations and states. Scientists experiment on those stem cells every day, looking for ways to make them behave like cells that are deficient in people's bodies. We all hope that scientists learn to coach stem cells to grow into dopamine-producing neurons, in the near future.
Steve Stice is a stem cell scientist in Georgia who has a particular interest in developing neurons from stem cells. As a matter of fact, in 2005 he actually coaxed some stem cells into developing as neuron cells. Now that he has done that, he is going to be sending out a kit to scientists that are willing to pay $850 for it. They can use it, along with the recipe for turning them into neurons, to experiment with the stem cells. We hope that they are able to develop them into cells that cure disease.
You can read more in this article about Steve Stice and his stem cell development. There are also insightful comments from a man with Parkinson's disease, Ron Grabb, who has worked with Dr. Stice to raise awareness and interest in stem cell research. Ron wants a Parkinson's disease cure. Dr. Stice probably just considers a Parkinson's cure as a start. We hope so.
