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Patients First Act
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Randy
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September 23, 2011
Imagine a treatment that could cure diabetes, leukemia, heart disease, Parkinson’s disease, and cancer. How many loved-ones do you know that could or would have benefited from this type of treatment? Immediately, I can think of several — including my dad who suffered from Parkinson’s.
A treatment of this type may not be far off. Noncontroversial adult stem cells from bone marrow, umbilical cord blood and other tissues are treating thousands of patients around the globe right now. It’s estimated that more than 50,000 adult stem-cell transplants occur annually worldwide. Not only are adult stem cells noncontroversial, but they are more successful than controversial embryonic stem cells that have not yet resulted in a successful treatment. Published science shows evidence for a wide range of applications of adult stem cells, with examples of success at improving the health of patients with more than 70 different diseases and injuries. At a time when health care costs are increasing and government spending is reaching record levels, Americans ought to question the value of their tax dollar investment in certain medical research. We ought to question how health dollars being allocated regarding actual promising treatments for patients versus speculative, controversial research. As public servants, we have the responsibility to consider both the medical and the ethical implications of the research we support with U.S. tax-dollars, particularly at a time of budgetary constraints. This week, I reintroduced the Patients First Act. The bipartisan bill prioritizes funding for promising stem cell research and would not authorize any new spending. Additionally, the legislation would promote the creation of pluripotent stem cell lines without the creation, destruction, or discarding of human embryos. The Patients First Act recognizes that the twin goals of scientific advancement and the protection of human life are not mutually exclusive; rather, they should be one in the same. By prioritizing research with proven clinical success, we can finally make long-awaited progress in beating dreaded diseases, from diabetes to breast cancer. You can read more about the legislation here. Read about adult stem cell treatment success stories in the following articles: 10 years of bone marrow stem cell therapy of the heart Growing your own blood transfusion Adult stem cells safe for treating stroke patients Treating breast cancer
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