Sad to watch this

[Farooqji]

mobile.twitter.com/AllanMoz...

[SilentEchoes]

My mom participated in stem cell research in the early 2000s. It might have slowed her decline but was definitely not a cure. She had DBS surgery after the stem cell transplant.

[jimcaster]

I understand that some people have ethical/moral objections to stem cells derived from aborted fetuses, but those are not the type of stem cells being used in the current trials, right?

[Farooqji in reply to jimcaster]

its true

[MBAnderson in reply to jimcaster]

More to the point, I feel, is that those people (who object) don't have Parkinson's. Easy for them to say. I feel it is unethical to not study or use fetal stem cells to cure such illnesses.

[MBAnderson]

youtube.com/watch?v=hp3vRF_...(Not working as expected?)

[MBAnderson]

so true

[kevowpd]

On what planet have stem cells been demonstrated to be a 'cure' for PD? Not this one.

[kevowpd]

I was referring to the tweet that the original post linked to. But thanks for all of that.

[kevowpd]

my comment had nothing whatsoever to do with any of yours and id have thought this evident based on the setup of the forum. Its not actually all about you, FYI.

[WinnieThePoo]

Marc

Fetal cell implants are not stem cells. Stem cells are "dialed back" adult cells. All of the research we are interested in are stem cells. There are no ethical objections to stem cell research.

Fetal cell implantation is not being pursued because, for several reasons, it's not as good as stem cells

Stem cells are not yet available as a therapy because they are still in development and not thoroughly tested. Not because of ethical objections. It's just not relevant to parkinson's disease.

[MBAnderson in reply to WinnieThePoo]

I'm referring to President George W. Bush in 2001 restricted federal funding for research on stem cells obtained from human embryos and at the time stopping research on embryonic cells hurt the cause.

Federal dollars could not be used to start any new cell lines or to conduct research on any newly derived cell lines. It was thought at the time they had the potential of curing diseases such as diabetes, heart disease and Parkinson’s.

Experts say Bush’s policy hampered progress in the field of stem cell research by depriving it of government funding, and drove some of the U.S.’s best scientists to set up labs abroad. (In 2009, President Barack Obama lifted the restriction, making it possible for federally funded scientists to use excess embryos from IVF procedures to obtain stem cells for study.)

In 2006 scientists learned how to stimulate a patient's own cells to behave like embryonic stem cells.

[WinnieThePoo in reply to MBAnderson]

Ah, ok, I'm with you

[HekateMoon]

Im sure there are many different approaches. As many as clusters of symptoms this illness choose to manifest.