Blood donor clinic honours Calgary’s “Bubble Boy”

Updated: Sat Mar. 28 2009 16:47:48

ctvcalgary.ca

A Calgary family and Canadian Blood Services teamed up Saturday to hold a special blood donor clinic.

It’s the third time Frank and Melanie Pogubila have held a clinic honoring their son Evan.

Evan died on June 26, 2007 at the age of 13-months after complications following a stem cell transplant. The toddler had a rare immunodeficiency disease called Severe Combined Immunodeficiency (SCID), which is commonly referred to as “Bubble Boy Disease”.

The Pogubila’s saw first hand the need for blood during Evan’s battle with SCIDs. He spent most of his young life in hospital and received many blood products and a stem cell transplant as part of his treatment.

On Saturday, more than 120 people answered the call to donate blood in honour of Evan. The response was so great, that another clinic has been scheduled for Saturday, April 25 at the Calgary Blood Donor Clinic located at 737-13th Avenue SW.

Canadian Blood Services says half of Canadians are eligible to give blood, but only one in 16 actually do it. To book an appointment, call Canadian Blood Services at 1-888-2-DONATE (1-888-236-6283).

Visit One Match for more information on becoming a potential stem cell donor.

linkback url: http://calgary.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20090328/CGY_blood_clinic_090328/20090328/?hub=CalgaryHome

A doggone good party

Boy who recovered from illness celebrates 10th birthday by helping animals

By Jewell Cardwell
Beacon Journal columnist

Published on Sunday, Mar 22, 2009

”To whom much is given much is expected.”

That’s the strong message Teri and Bob Peters — formerly of Akron, now of Wadsworth — have been quietly feeding their two sons over the last few years.

You’re never too young to learn it and adopt that as your mantra for living, the couple says.

Saturday the Peterses saw it take root.

What more appropriate time than at their younger son Matthew’s 10th birthday party (his birthday is today)?

Matthew invited a dozen friends and his 12-year-old brother, Ben, to his Give Back/Pay It Forward birthday party.

Instead of gifts for Matthew, guests were asked to bring a gift for a dog (toys, food, bones, leashes and collars). Matthew said he devised that plan ”because I already have all the toys I need.”

”Matthew chose the . . . rescue service Save Ohio Strays, where he had adopted a dog, Silo, a black Lab mix, last year on his birthday,” his mother said.

The Wadsworth-based agency is a not-for-profit organization that rescues, cares for and places animals.

His pals complied big time.

After the ice cream and cake and a battery of games, including one that had them all barking, the partygoers received a surprise visit from a posse of puppies (boxer mixes and miniature schnauzer mixes) from Save Ohio Strays.

More about that in a moment.

Medical miracle

I met Matthew, this amazing little dark-eyed boy, through photos and his mother’s letters a short time after he was born.

Many of you may recall meeting him in this space and connecting with his family through prayer.

For it was a truly frightening and challenging time for his mom and dad.

Matthew was diagnosed at birth with the rare severe combined immunodeficiency disorder (SCID), which meant his body lacked the life-saving T-cell and B-cell functions in the immune system.

It was the exact same medical anomaly that claimed the lives of his brother, Andrew, at 7 months of age in 1998, and a Texas boy, David Vetter, who was known as the ”boy in the bubble” because he lived inside a plastic enclosure until his death in 1984.

So, Matthew and his parents were flown to the Duke University Medical Center in Durham, N.C., where baby Matthew underwent intensive treatment, including a lifesaving bone-marrow transplant, compliments of his mother.

A few months later, with his life still hanging in the balance, Matthew underwent a liver transplant, also courtesy of his mother, at Children’s Memorial Hospital in Chicago.

Of course, it was touch-and-go for a long time, as Matthew was in critical condition more times than his parents care to remember. And the list of medicines, including steroids, was enough to boggle the mind.

The Peters family credits both the amazing medical care and the collective prayers their son received for his miracle.

In one of the many letters Teri Peters wrote during that scary time, she had this to share: ”We have been repeatedly touched by the kindness of your readers.”

She cited the fundraiser that Kim and Jayne, co-owners of KJ’s Hair Classics in Cuyahoga Falls, organized. It resulted in 180 cards filled with love, prayers and gifts of money to help with Matthew’s expenses.

”We are overwhelmed by the generosity people continue to show us,” she wrote, noting she is keeping every card. ”One of these days, when Matthew reaches an age of true understanding, I will present them to him.”

It was nearly two years before Matthew would get the green light to go home.

So, understandably, every birthday is a real celebration of life.

”With the love and support of family and community and the excellent medical care he received both out of state and here at the hematology/oncology department at Akron Children’s Hospital, Matthew is a healthy and typical soon-to-be-10-year-old boy,” his mother noted.

”I have often thought about writing a book — what a story to tell. . . . We have developed dear friendships with a few of the people who wrote to us while we were in Durham, including one very, special lady — Ruth Jones — who ended up stopping by our house one day after we had come home.

”She came by for regular visits. Bob and I had been praying about finding someone to sit with the boys a few hours a week so I could have a little time out of the house; this was when Matthew was still in isolation. Ruth was God’s answer to prayer; she came faithfully every Tuesday for almost four years and sat with the boys all day while I grocery shopped, ran errands. . . . Ruth never accepted a dime. We still keep in touch with her. She is the boys’ adopted grandmother!”

Celebration of life

Back to the party.

Ron Kilchenman, public relations coordinator for Save Ohio Strays, came bearing a raft of gifts for Matthew and Ben and their guests: T-shirts and calendars.

But nothing more pleasurable than cuddly puppies who are in foster care and ready for adoption.

The gifts turned over to Kilchenman’s group will be used to help defray the expense of keeping the puppies in foster care.

The irony here is that Matthew, who himself escaped death several times, is now in the position of helping some defenseless animals do the same.

Brother Ben, who turns 13 on May 10, is busy deciding how he, too, will use his big day to pay it forward. Should be very interesting.

Ironically, Matthew is free of all medications. He doesn’t even have to take anti-rejection medicines that most organ-transplant patients must have for the rest of their lives.

His life is a miracle any way you look at it.

And for that, his family gives total praise to God and to the many angels here on Earth.

For information about Save Ohio Strays, please visit http://www.saveohiostrays.org. Jewell Cardwell can be reached at 330-996-3567 or jcardwell@thebeaconjournal.com

linkback url http://www.ohio.com/news/41643692.html

AAAAI: Rotavirus Vaccine May Cause Infections in SCID Kids

AAAAI: Rotavirus Vaccine May Cause Infections in SCID Kids

By John Gever, Senior Editor, MedPage Today

Published: March 18, 2009

Reviewed by Dori F. Zaleznik, MD; Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston.

WASHINGTON, March 17 — The rotavirus vaccine recommended for all infants can cause infection in babies with severe immunodeficiencies, a researcher said here.

Two infants receiving the first two of three scheduled doses of the live, attenuated-virus rotavirus vaccine (RotaTeq) developed infections traced to the product, according to Niraj C. Patel, M.D., of Baylor College of Medicine in Houston.

After the babies were hospitalized with diarrhea and other symptoms consistent with rotavirus infection, it was discovered that they had severe combined immunodeficiency syndrome (SCID).

These are the first reported cases of infection caused by the rotavirus vaccine, which was approved in 2006, Dr. Patel said in a late-breaking research session here at the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology meeting.

Dr. Patel said molecular analyses showed that the vaccine caused the infections. All the attenuated virus strains used in the vaccine contain two bovine genes that aren’t found in wild-type human rotavirus. Both were present in the rotavirus isolates obtained from the babies.

The CDC recommends that the vaccine be given to all infants at two, four, and six months of age. Both infants who developed infections received the first two doses on schedule.

One case involved a girl hospitalized for pneumonia and respiratory infection from two weeks to two months of age; SCID was not immediately recognized. About a month after the second dose, she was rehospitalized with diarrhea, acidosis, and failure to thrive.

The other case was a boy who developed diarrhea, dehydration, and shock six days after the second vaccination.

Dr. Patel noted that other live-pathogen vaccines — poliovirus, BCG, measles, and varicella — have also been found to cause infection in children with SCID.

The condition occurs in about one in 500,000 to 1 million births. The Immune Deficiency Foundation estimates that the median age at diagnosis is about 24 weeks — well after infant vaccinations are supposed to begin.

There is currently no standard, reliable screening test for SCID, Dr. Patel said. It is usually diagnosed when infants present with repeated and/or unusual infections. Lymphopenia is a warning sign, but “it is not very specific,” he said.

The molecular analysis of the infants’ viral isolates indicated that the vaccine strains underwent mutation to cause disease.

That may explain why the infections did not develop immediately after the first dose in either case. “[The virus] perhaps took some time to mutate before causing disease,” he said.

Session moderator A. Wesley Burks, M.D., of Duke University in Durham, N.C., commented that the clinical implications are still uncertain.

“We [still] have to understand what the right thing to do is,” he said.

“Immune deficiency is not common, but at the same time it happens. Children [with it] that get a live viral vaccine, they’re going to have trouble with it.”

Both he and Dr. Patel suggested that a reliable screening test for infant immunodeficiencies is needed to avert future infections associated with live-virus immunizations.

No external funding for the study was reported.

Dr. Patel reported no potential conflicts of interest. Dr. Burks reported relationships with Acto-GeniX NV, Allertein, Dannon Co. Probiotics, EpiPen/Dey L.P., Genentech, Novartis, Nutricia, McNeil Nutritionals, Mead Johnson, MastCell Inc., and Gerber.

Primary source: American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology
Source reference:
Patel N, et al “Vaccine-acquired rotavirus infection in two infants with severe combined immunodeficiency” AAAAI 2009; Abstract L29.

linkback url: http://www.medpagetoday.com/Pediatrics/Vaccines/13314

Universal newborn SCID screening has potential to save lives, money

Universal newborn SCID screening has potential to save lives, money

Existing blood tests may help unlock some of the mysteries surrounding infant immunodeficiency syndromes, according to a speaker at the American Academy of Allergy and Immunology Annual Meeting held in Washington this week.

Performing inexpensive quantitative polymerase chain reaction assays may help avert expensive and ineffective later stage treatments for children with severe combined immunodeficiency, said Jennifer Puck, MD, professor of pediatrics at the University of California, San Francisco.

Infants with severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) appear healthy at birth, but have few T cells, leaving them susceptible to recurrent and opportunistic infections. Health officials estimate SCID affects about one in 50,000 infants, but the exact number is unknown due to a of lack specific diagnostic tools and an incomplete understanding of the genetic interplay that results in symptoms. Currently, about 80% of infants with SCID go unrecognized until they develop infectious complications due to their immune deficiency, Puck said.

“The best survival and outcomes are achieved if treatment, such as bone marrow transplantation, can be done before infections occur,” she said.

Puck has developed a method for identifying presymptomatic children with SCID using the dried blood spots already obtained from all babies for newborn screening. DNA is extracted and PCR used to determine the number of T-cell receptor excision circles (TRECs) vs. a copy number of a control genomic DNA segment. Patients who lack TRECs may have SCID or other disorders with very low T cells. Pilot screening of newborns is currently ongoing in Wisconsin, Massachusetts and Navajo Indian populations, where SCID incidence is high. The tests cost between $6 and $10 per sample to perform.

The Medical College of Wisconsin recently instituted universal newborn screening, and researchers there noted among 46 children in whom SCID was diagnosed before 3.5 months of age, 96% survived 26 years post transplantation, compared with 66% of 116 children who did not receive an early diagnosis.

“Identifying infants who have low TRECs with screening will improve SCID outcomes, establish SCID incidence, and make identification of further immune defects possible,” Puck said.

The ongoing pilot trials will soon determine the clinical utility of such screening programs. – by Nicole Blazek

For more information:

• Puck J. #3516. American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology Annual Meeting; March 13-17, 2009; Washington.
• Routes J. #248. American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology Annual Meeting; March 13-17, 2009; Washington.

linkback url: http://www.pediatricsupersite.com/view.aspx?rid=37902

Data Presented at AAAAI Reinforce Baxter’s Commitment to Making GAMMAGARD LIQUID Therapy More Convenient

2009 AAAAI Annual Meeting

DEERFIELD, Ill.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Baxter International Inc. (NYSE: BAX) announced data supporting further progress in efforts to make antibody therapy more convenient for patients with primary immunodeficiency (PID), including ways to give patients more options of where, how often and when they receive treatment. The data were presented in three posters at the 2009 American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI) Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C., on Saturday, March 14.

Current intravenous (IV) administration of immune globulins requires a healthcare professional to monitor infusions, taking up three to four hours, and current subcutaneous administration may require multiple injections and higher doses of immune globulins than IV. Data presented at AAAAI add to a growing body of evidence supporting Baxter’s work to develop a different delivery method of antibody replacement therapy applied under the skin using an enzyme that can help deliver and disperse the antibodies into the body at the appropriate dose. This is an investigational study that Baxter has undertaken to develop a subcutaneous mode of administration of Intravenous Immune Globulin (IVIG) therapy to patients.

“Baxter is focused on making immune globulin therapy easier for patients with PID,” said Hartmut J. Ehrlich, MD, vice president of global research and development for Baxter’s BioScience business. “Data presented at AAAAI demonstrate Baxter’s progress in developing a new way to deliver antibody therapy that may be more convenient for patients.”

PID is a hereditary disorder marked by low to no antibodies, also known as immune globulins, which help the body fight disease and infection. People living with PID can take antibody replacement therapy to equip their immune system and avoid infections. Baxter’s immune globulin therapy, GAMMAGARD LIQUID (KIOVIG in Europe), is approved for intravenous administration in the United States and Europe.

Antibody replacement therapy has been used for more than two decades to treat PID. This therapy may be delivered intravenously every three to four weeks, called IVIG, or under the skin once a week, commonly called Subcutaneous Immune Globulin (SCIG). IV therapy allows for the delivery of adequate levels of immune globulin concentrations, but require infusions under the care of a healthcare professional, spanning three or four hours. Current SCIG therapy may be administered at home once a week, but may also present challenges, such as multiple injections and a higher dose of immune globulins required to get the same therapeutic effect.

Treatment with Immune Globulin (IG) in Primary Immune Deficiency Patients: Dose Comparison Based on the Route of Administration

Data from this retrospective analysis of real-world use in the United States show current SCIG administration uses significantly more immune globulin than IVIG. The analysis from PID patients from 12,483 claims (1,382 patients) of intravenously administered immune globulins from GAMMAGARD LIQUID and 2,365 claims (258 patients) of immune globulins from a U.S.-approved subcutaneous therapy show the median dose typically given subcutaneously for patients with PID is approximately 1.39 times the median dose given intravenously.

IGIV-10% Infused Intravenously And Subcutaneously To Subjects With Primary Immunodeficiency Diseases – Comparison Of Pharmacokinetic Properties

Data from 15 patients in a prospective, multi-center study investigating tolerability, pharmacokinetics and bioavailability of subcutaneous administration of GAMMAGARD LIQUID, confirmed that compared to intravenous administration, significantly more immune globulin (137 percent) is administered subcutaneously in order to achieve similar bioavailability (amount of therapy in the blood).

30-Day Pharmacokinetic Evaluation of IV versus Subcutaneous Administration of Immunoglobulin with and without Recombinant Human Hyaluronidase

The pre-clinical study compared the bioavailability of intravenous delivery of immune globulins (10 percent concentration) versus subcutaneous delivery of a lower volume, investigational 20 percent immune globulin therapy with and without recombinant human hyaluronidase (a treatment-modifying enzyme). The bioavailability of antibodies in the 20 percent immune globulin therapy delivered with recombinant human hyaluronidase was comparable with immune globulin 10 percent delivered intravenously. Furthermore, comparison of subcutaneously administered 20 percent immune globulin, with and without recombinant human hyaluronidase, showed improved bioavailability with the addition of recombinant human hyaluronidase. The preclinical data support furthering Baxter’s Phase III development program evaluating recombinant human hyaluronidase to deliver immune globulins.

Subcutaneous Administration and Recombinant Human Hyaluronidase

Baxter is researching investigational 10 percent immune globulin therapy, which is GAMMAGARD LIQUID administered with recombinant human hyaluronidase. The combination of these two therapies could potentially make administration more convenient for PID patients with less infusion time, potentially enabling delivery of up to a monthly dose of immune globulin, administered under the skin in a single site. Investigational 10 percent immune globulin therapy with recombinant human hyaluronidase is currently being evaluated in a prospective, open-label, non-controlled Phase III clinical study being conducted in 10-20 centers in the U.S. and Canada.

Podcast: Antibody Therapy with Recombinant Human Hyaluronidase

For more information about Baxter’s studies of immune globulin therapy with recombinant human hyaluronidase for patients with PID, listen to Baxter’s podcast by visiting www.baxter.com.

About Primary Immunodeficiency Disorders

Primary immunodeficiency disorders encompass more than 100 diseases caused by an immune system that does not function correctly. According to the Jeffrey Modell Foundation, primary immunodeficiency affects as many as one million Americans and 10 million worldwide. For people with primary immunodeficiency, the primary cause is a lack of antibodies. IVIG therapy can help restore immune globulin levels to near normal, helping the immune system function properly and prevent infections or fight them when they occur.

About GAMMAGARD LIQUID™ 10%

GAMMAGARD LIQUID 10% (known as KIOVIG™ in Europe) is indicated for the treatment of primary immunodeficiency disorders associated with defects in humoral immunity. These include but are not limited to congenital X-linked agammaglobulinemia, common variable immunodeficiency, Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome and severe combined immunodeficiencies.

Important Safety Information

GAMMAGARD LIQUID

GAMMAGARD LIQUID is contraindicated in patients with known anaphylactic or severe hypersensitivity responses to Immune Globulin (Human). Patients with severe selective IgA deficiency (IgA < 0.05 g/L) may develop anti-IgA antibodies that can result in a severe anaphylactic reaction.

Immune Globulin Intravenous (Human) products have been reported to be associated with renal dysfunction, acute renal failure, osmotic nephrosis and death. Patients predisposed to acute renal failure include patients with any degree of pre-existing renal insufficiency, diabetes mellitus, age greater than 65, volume depletion, sepsis, paraproteinemia, or patients receiving known nephrotoxic drugs. Especially in such patients, IGIV products should be administered at the minimum concentration available and the minimum rate of infusion practicable. While these reports of renal dysfunction and acute renal failure have been associated with the use of many of the licensed IGIV products, those containing sucrose as a stabilizer accounted for a disproportionate share of the total number.

Glycine, an amino acid, is used as a stabilizer. GAMMAGARD LIQUID does not contain sucrose.

GAMMAGARD LIQUID is made from human plasma. It may carry a risk of transmitting infectious agents, e.g. viruses, and theoretically, the Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) agent.

Components used in the packaging of this product are latex-free.

Thrombotic events have been reported in association with IGIV. Patients at risk may include those with a history of atherosclerosis, multiple cardiovascular risk factors, advanced age, impaired cardiac output, and/or known or suspected hyperviscosity, hypercoagulable disorders, and prolonged periods of immobilization.

IGIV products can contain blood group antibodies that may cause a positive direct antiglobulin reaction and, rarely, hemolysis.

Aseptic meningitis syndrome (AMS) has been reported to occur infrequently in association with IGIV treatment. Discontinuation of IGIV treatment has resulted in remission of AMS within several days without sequelae.

Various mild and moderate reactions, such as headache, fever, fatigue, chills, flushing, dizziness, urticaria, wheezing or chest tightness, nausea, vomiting, rigors, back pain, chest pain, muscle cramps, and changes in blood pressure may occur with infusions of Immune Globulin Intravenous (Human).

For full prescribing information, please visit http://www.gammagardliquid.com.

About Baxter International Inc.

Baxter International Inc. (NYSE: BAX), through its subsidiaries, develops, manufactures and markets products that save and sustain the lives of people with hemophilia, immune disorders, infectious diseases, kidney disease, trauma, and other chronic and acute medical conditions. As a global, diversified healthcare company, Baxter applies a unique combination of expertise in medical devices, pharmaceuticals and biotechnology to create products that advance patient care worldwide.

This release includes forward-looking statements concerning the company’s Phase III trial of subcutaneous administration of GAMMAGARD LIQUID with recombinant human hyaluronidase and expectations regarding the results related thereto. The statements are based on assumptions about many important factors, including the following, which could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements: timely submission and approval of anticipated regulatory filings; the ability of the company to enroll a sufficient number of patients in the Phase III trial; the ability of the company to complete the Phase III trial successfully and on a timely basis; and other risks discussed in the company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), all of which are available on the company’s website. The company does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statements.

 

Contacts

Baxter International Inc.
Media Contacts:
Christopher Bona, (847) 948-2815
Laura Grossmann, (847) 948-3026
or
Investor Contacts:
Mary Kay Ladone, (847) 948-3371
Clare Trachtman, (847) 948-3085

Permalink: http://www.businesswire.com/news/google/20090316005731/en

British boy, 2, diagnosed with one of world’s rarest diseases

Last updated at 1:13 PM on 09th March 2009

A two-year-old boy who has been ill since he was a small baby has been diagnosed as the only British victim of one of the world’s rarest diseases.

Kian Baker from Gloucestershire, suffers from PNP deficiency, a genetic disorder which leaves him vulnerable to a variety of potentially fatal infections. There have been fewer than 60 cases documented worldwide.

After baffling medical experts since he was eight months old his condition has now finally been diagnosed and doctors have broken the news to his family that he urgently needs a bone marrow transplant to survive.

Mum Gemma Isaacs, 24, who has given up her job as a nursery assistant to care for Kian full time, said: ‘We started to notice that he had some developmental problems when he was 8 months old.

‘He had no balance and was struggling without making any kind of noise.

‘Over the past year he has contracted a string of serious infections. After two years of tests we have now finally been told what the problem is. In a way it’s a relief because now at least we know what has to be done.’

More…

• Blind girl can see her mother for first time thanks to pioneering stem cell treatment

PNP Deficiency is caused by a lack of Purine Nuceloside Phosphorylase enzyme. People with the condition can also suffer brain damage.

While a bone marrow transplant can boost the immune system it does not correct or cure the neurological disorder.

‘Kian has to have regular blood transfusions and lots of antibiotics to give him some sort of immune system,’ said his mum.

‘He can’t go anywhere where there are lots of people – we have to keep him wrapped in cotton wool.

‘It has been difficult to research the condition because very few people know about it.

‘But from my research, unfortunately, it seems life expectancy is not more than 10 years. A transplant represents his only chance.’

Bone marrow transplants have had promising results in other children diagnosed with PNP.

Doctors at London’s famous Great Ormond Street childrens hospital have taken charge of Kian’s case and are searching for a suitable donor for him.

In the meantime, however, Kian is susceptible to common childhood infections like chickenpox, mumps and measles, any one of which could kill him.

Kian’s father Stephen Baker, a 24-year-old builder, said: ‘It’s difficult to get our heads around at the moment but we are trying to stay positive.

‘Before he was diagnosed we used to take him regularly on public transport to swimming pools where, we know how, he could have contracted a fatal infection at any time.’

Graham Davies., consultant immunologist at Great Ormond street, said: ‘PNP is an extremely rare metabolic condition which can affect the nervous system, leading to problems with movement.’

linkback url; http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1160534/British-boy-2-diagnosed-worlds-rarest-diseases.html#

Stem cell reversal

WEB EXTRA | March 09, 2009

SCIENCE: President Obama fulfills his campaign promise to reverse the ban on federally funded embryonic stem cell research established by President Bush | Daniel James Devine

President Barack Obama signed an executive order on Monday to reverse the ban on federally funded embryonic stem cell research established by President George W. Bush. Obama fulfilled a campaign promise in a signing ceremony before a packed East Room audience at the White House. With the signing, the federal government’s primary agency for medical research, the National Institutes of Health (NIH), no longer is restricted from offering federal tax dollars to scientists who want to study stem cells derived from human embryos.

Obama leaves decisions regarding how funds are dispersed to the discretion of the NIH, which must rewrite its research guidelines within four months. (The agency was dealt an extra $10 billion in the president’s stimulus plan, mainly for science grants.) Scientists who use federal grants still do not have the authority to create their own stem cell lines, due to a piece of legislation called the Dickey-Wicker amendment that has been renewed by Congress every year since 1996. The amendment bars NIH money from being used to create embryos or to conduct research in a way that knowingly harms them, so labs must work with stem cells that are extracted by a third party. But there are rumblings that the Democrat-controlled Congress may try to remove the Dickey-Wicker amendment. On Sunday, Rep. Diana DeGette, D-Colo., said she’ll be speaking with her colleagues about the amendment and that she’ll confer with the White House about how to write Obama’s stem cell policy into law, eliminating the possibility that a future president might reverse it.

Aides to Obama told reporters in a phone conference Sunday that the new administration intends to be led by a “responsible practice of science and evidence instead of dogma.” Harold Varmus of the president’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology said, “We view what happened with stem cell research in the last administration as one manifestation of failure to think carefully about how federal support of science and the use of scientific advice occurs.” Obama also signed a presidential memorandum on Monday that orders the Office of Science and Technology Policy to establish standards to vet appointees to federal science positions.

Bush had allowed grant recipients to experiment with embryonic stem cell colonies created before Aug. 9, 2001, but any created after that date couldn’t be touched with taxpayer cash. Many researchers simply continued their projects during the past eight years using state and private funding. They’ve complained about the necessity of running separate labs—stocked with separately purchased microscopes, plastic pipettes, and even water—that were made necessary to segregate privately from federally funded stem cell research. They also argue that the embryos in question are usually leftover from fertility clinics and would be destroyed anyway.

But science—not dogma—is increasingly supporting the validity of adult stem cell research. This month separate scientific teams have announced improvements in the safety of induced pluripotent stem cells, which behave like embryonic stem cells and don’t require the death of an embryo. Stem cells derived from sources like bone marrow and umbilical cord blood have been shown in actual medical practice to successfully treat leukemia, sickle cell anemia, severe combined immunodeficiency, (see “Miracle Cells,” WORLD, Feb. 5, 2005) and has presumably cured at least one case of HIV. The effectiveness of embryonic stem cell therapies remains unproven. The world’s first clinical trial of embryonic stem cell treatment, for spinal cord injuries, was just approved by the FDA in January.

linkback url: http://www.worldmag.com/webextra/15117