Spinal Muscular Atrophy Research Slowed by Stem Cell Laws

[Faye]

http://www.fightsma.com/blog/sma-sci...cell-laws.html

Spinal Muscular Atrophy Research Slowed by Stem Cell Laws

posted on March 3, 2007 in Spinal Muscular Atrophy Science and Research, Spinal Muscular Atrophy News Stories

In a recent article, Dr. Douglas Kerr, Director of the Johns Hopkins Transverse Myelitis Center in Maryland, laid out his case for changing the laws for federal funding of stem cell research for diseases such as spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). The article was published by PLoS Biology, a publication of the Public Library of Science.
Dr. Kerr’s research into using stem cells to treat neuromuscular diseases like spinal muscular atrophy has been funded by Fight SMAand is said to be some of the most promising work toward finding a cure for the number one genetic killer of babies. He says in the article, however, that the moratorium on federal funding for new lines of cells is slowing his progress because the existing lines are difficult to use.

Kerr won’t qualify for federal funding if he uses non-approved lines, but he’s not willing to risk the potential problems with the federally sanctioned lines. And adult stem cells aren’t an option. He tried to generate spinal motor neurons from adult stem cells and cells isolated from umbilical cord blood, but decided that programming a blank slate [from human embryonic stem cells] is far more efficient than deprogramming specialized cells and redirecting them toward a different fate.

A colleague, Larry Goldstein, Director of the University of San Diego Stem Cell Program, agreed that the existing lines just aren’t good enough for some research.

The lines “certainly aren’t useless,” he adds, but he’s found them clumsy to handle. “For our experiments, we need cell lines that grow well for more than just the most-skilled tissue person. If only one person in the lab is sufficiently skilled to grow them, you’re not going to get much done.” Goldstein plans to investigate non-approved lines with private or state funding.

You can read the entire article online here, or download a PDF version by clicking this link.

[wildwilly]

Thanks for the post Faye. One of my best friends has a 5 year old son with Type II SMA. I forwarded him and his family the link.
Wildwilly

[Faye]

Originally Posted by wildwilly

Thanks for the post Faye. One of my best friends has a 5 year old son with Type II SMA. I forwarded him and his family the link.
Wildwilly

You are welcome, if they ever want to join us as we advocate for ESCR in DC, please have them contact me.