Breakthrough Discovery Shows Adult Stem Cells Are the ‘Avenue to Real Cures for Real People’
January 23, 2002
Washington, DC, — As a just-released report on research at the University of Minnesota reveals what is described as possibly the “most important cell ever discovered”, the nation’s largest faith-based physicians’ organization says the findings provide wonderful hope for patients and should end the push to clone and destroy embryonic human beings.
“Cells taken ethically from adults with no loss of life have already shown tremendous potential and proven benefits. This discovery should remove any last vestiges of doubt in the lifesaving potential of adult stem cells. As many had predicted, it now appears that adult stem cells are the avenues to providing real cures for real people,” observed Christian Medical Association (www.cmdahome.org) Executive Director David Stevens, MD.
Dr. Stevens added, “If the remarkable results of this study prove consistent with early published reports, then no reasonable person could justify violating ethical barriers to clone and harvest human embryos for their cells.”
According to a just-released report in today’s NewScientist.com, Catherine Verfaillie at the University of Minnesota discovered cells in the bone marrow of adults that “can turn into every single tissue in the body.” Princeton University’s Ihor Lemischka has labeled the work “very exciting”, noting that the cells “can differentiate into pretty much everything that an embryonic stem cell can differentiate into.”
Dr. Stevens added, “Given this breakthrough news and the consistent performance of adult stem cells, if you were investing in the stock of companies pursuing therapies from adult stem cells or from cloned human embryonic stem cells, where would you put your money?”
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