Stemblog » 2007

Does it matter whether NJ money goes to ESCR or ASCR?

Category: General, Legislation, Cure Paralysis, Cure Paralysis Now, state stem cell research — By: Faye on July 27, 2007

Why were we even fighting for ESCR ALL these years when we let states like NJ get away with jilting ESCR in favor of ASCR ( this includes bonemarrow stem cells, umbilical cord blood stem cells and placental stem cells)?

How can the ESCR community deceive ESCR supporters by not making the distinction and doing exactly what ESCR opponents have done over the years.

ESCR opponents have for a long time hidden behind the generic phrase "I support stem cell research", leaving it unknown to the general public ( even reporters) if that even includes any ESCR.

Well hESCR was jilted in NJ.

While the governor ( Corzine) waved the hugely popular pro-ESCR flag, he and his ilk schemed to make NJ the adult stem cell research hub of America. And you are helping them propagate their pro-ESCR lies to the public.

How can we collectively, shamefully go along with the NJ deception of ESCR supporters?

(Read on …)

In Remembrance of Debbie Kelsoe

Category: General, Spinal Cord Injury, Legislation, Cure Paralysis, Cure Paralysis Now — By: Faye on July 20, 2007

Sadly Debbie Kelsoe who was spinal cord injured on Oct 18th, 2000, in a car accident, passed away from an aneurism earlier this month.

Besides Christopher Reeve and my son Jason who also became paralyzed in Jan, 1997, no one has inspired me more than Debbie. Debbie was an ardent stem cell research activist and also authored a book to increase awareness of the horrors of living with a spinal cord injury. The dire need for embryonic stem cell research and the cruelty of any further delays are apparent from seeing what has happened to Debbie. Please check out her book The Silent Minority No More.

Debbie also was one of a group of six, who co-founded Cure Paralysis Now

Her spirit will live on in all the people she touched.

Some people’s lives can truly make a difference. However long or short their lives on earth, they give the gifts of kindness and of caring. They sow the seeds of friendship and awareness. Some people’s lives are beautiful examples of putting others first and when they’re gone, the lives of those they touched are so much richer, and the love they shared lives on and on.

Luv Ya, Deb. I will so miss you.

After Bush’s Veto, State hESCR Programs Most Important

Category: General, Legislation, SCAN, GPI, Cure Paralysis, Cure Paralysis Now — By: Faye on July 16, 2007

The clock will eventually run out on Bush’s opposition to federally funded hESCR.

One would think it’s time for the hESCR movement to regroup and focus on advancing hESCR funding where it counts most now: the states.

Pardon me for being kind of skeptical, but I hope the hESCR movement intent is not to whitewash the obvious "NJ as the ASCR hub of America" issue with the cop out: "well, there weren’t many good ESCR applications"

That would beg the question then: "Why even start an ESCR program in New Jersey, if there isn’t already a strong enough interest among the scientific community of NJ?"

The "a priori" intent of some of the people working on the ESCR legislation in NJ may have been to make NJ the adult stem cell research hub that it has now become.

(Read on …)

After Bush’s Veto, State hESCR Programs Most Important

Category: General, Legislation, SCAN, GPI, Cure Paralysis, Cure Paralysis Now — By: Faye on July 16, 2007

The clock will eventually run out on Bush’s opposition to federally funded hESCR.

One would think it’s time for the hESCR movement to regroup and focus on advancing hESCR funding where it counts most now: the states.

That would beg the question then: "Why even start an ESCR program in New Jersey, if there isn’t already a strong enough interest among the scientific community of NJ?"

The "a priori" intent of some of the people working on the ESCR legislation in NJ may have been to make NJ the adult stem cell research hub that it has now become.

Please read the very targeted comments by Susan Solomon, where she predicted the same underhanded strategy in NY:

Concerned that New York’s proposed $1 billion Stem cell bill might also get sidetracked, Susan Soloman, CEO and co-founder of the New York Stem Cell Foundation told The Scientist, "If [the New York stem cell bill] is an alternative mechanism to provide funding to research institutions, that’s fine, but lets call it what it is,"

In her latest Huffington Post article, Susan Solomon doesn’t even mention her neighboring state of New Jersey as important to advancing hESCR, probably because of the abysmal hESCR experience there.

In the absence of federal leadership on this issue, private philanthropy has demonstrated the ability to work with top scientific minds to establish research priorities. Free of governmental bureaucracy, private philanthropy has the nimbleness to get cutting-edge research initiatives off the ground much more quickly. This is where public money can and should come in; with the groundwork already established, infusions of public money can then be strategically deployed to scale up the most promising research projects. Private-public private partnerships are the optimal drivers of this science, and facilitate the most impactful application of public funding.

The public partners in this equation will be, at least for the time being, states such as New York — lead by Governor Spitzer and Lieutenant Governor Paterson, and California, under Governor Schwarzenegger, that have taken a leadership role and earmarked significant funding for stem cell research. But the responsibility remains on organizations like the New York Stem Cell Foundation to be the catalysts that make human embryonic stem cell research happen.

After Bush’s Veto, What is Next for Stem Cell Research?

The hESCR movement (GPI) had the guts to stand up to the Realians for their fakery and deception, let’s please put this tough stance to good use in the area where the groundbreaking work with hESCR is actually taking place for CURES.

My faith in the hESCR movement will be restored when I see prominent representatives of this movement really holding states accountable for their hESCR deception, rather than allowing people to wallow in a fake feel good moment that primarily detours from the more direct route to cures with hESCR.

States like NJ are cashing in on the popularity of hESCR with the public, just so they can fund their ASCR ambitions,…..leaving the public footing the bill without getting the promised hESCR they need to really cure their ailments.

It’s a crying shame if representatives of the hESCR movement wouldn’t hold states like these accountable. Or is the hESCR movement more concerned with hESCR propaganda rather than achieving real hESCR derived cures?………..something we all should ponder to keep us on track.