The Don Margolis Blog

I'd like to send out a large thank you to "benotafraid" over at  http://adultstemcellawareness.wordpress.com for the wonderful introduction to his readers (see below). They are doing great work over there, tackling and shedding light on some complex and significant issues with consistent eloquence and intellect.  Keep up the good work and thanks again!

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Don Margolis of TheraVitae has his own blog
Filed under: adult stem cell awareness ‚ benotafraid

Tags: don margolis, theravitae, VesCell

You may recall the post we ran not too long ago about TheraVitae and its founder Don Margolis. Well, Don now has his own blog and wow does he have some interesting thoughts and observations. Don doesn't blog from a Catholic perspective, but those of us interested in the world of ethical stem cell research will find lots of food for thought and a first-hand account of what it's like to pioneer an adult stem cell based bio-tech.

http://adultstemcellawareness.wordpress.com/2008/01/19/don-margolis-of-theravitae-has-his-own-blog/

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Health and Wellness News
Missouri Heart Patient Helped By Stem Cell Therapy
His Own Stem Cells Healed Him

Missouri 10/22/2007 06:57 AM GMT (TransWorldNews)

...William, age 78 was suffering from severe coronary artery disease.  His doctor told him he didn't have long to live.

...I'm taking dancing lessons.  I'm dating again.  My angina is gone.  My chest doesn't hurt anymore.  My arm doesn't hurt anymore.  I can now walk a mile, he said.

...These days, more than one year after his adult stem cell treatment, William is keeping himself busy again on his farm. “I can carry and throw bales of hay again.  I'm chopping wood.  Before, I couldn't lift anything, I was stuck in my chair.  Now, I'm hosting a big party for 250 people in a couple of weeks for a big chili cook-off.

To read the whole story:

http://www.transworldnews.com/NewsStory.aspx?id=25856&ret=AccountDtl.aspx

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Dear Mr. Margolis:
I have read as much as I could of your blog attacking the promise of embryonic stem cells.  Your attempts to prove George Bush, the idiot, correct have sickened me.  Your misleading claim (that non-pluripotent adult stem cells can now do as much as true stem cells will do) must have been directed by Karl Rove.  Worst is your claim that cures will not be quickly forthcoming as soon as we get rid of those religious fanatics in the White House.  How can you claim that these foreign fakers can "successfully treat" that which far superior American medicine cannot?  If the FDA says it is not approved, I cannot imagine any American being dumb enough to fall for that crap.

(Name withheld)


Dear Dr XXX, PhD:
Thank you for proving my case about how the American public has been misinformed by the embryonic profiteers.  When a PhD such as yourself can be so easily conned by wheelchairs being rolled up to the stage, imagine how easy it has been for those you worship to convince less-educated sick people that George Bush is responsible for their misery.  It is about money, doctor, not about cures.  You are correct in that I maintain that embryonic stem cells will never be implanted in humans in a civilized, regulated medical program.

However, you have received all of your less-than-true stem cell information from those who want your zeal to turn into your money for their profit, NOT for cures.  While embryonic stem cells can surely be used to teach us new and useful things about disease, only adult stem cells can safely be put into a human body this decade or next decade.  By then, doctor, adult stem cells will be the standard.  You are the type who would try to convince Boeing to wait for a new kind of propellor-driven engine and ignore jets.  Your logic is flawed, but I know you will not accept my word for it against those of fifty money-grubbing researchers.  So I will give you a direct interview from the ONLY name that matters in the embryonic science which I respect,  Jamie Thomson, the father of embryonics, rather than from the science fiction world you are involved in.  I wonder how sick Dr. Thomson's words, in bold below, will make you.

DNA has changed our lives, and so will stem cells," Thomson said.
"Eventually we will have all the types of cells we need. ... Stem cells will profoundly change human medicine."

That hasn't happened yet, he said, but added that successful medical therapies using stem cells should exist 10 years from now.

Challenges to achieving that, Thomson said, include safety concerns such as cancer and the body's immune rejection process.


http://www.madison.com/tct/news/268672


Please notice two things:
1-For two years I have been writing that 2018 is the best we can hope for.  This week, Dr.Thomson has confirmed my estimate exactly:  "should exist 10 years from now."   I no longer believe that 2018 is possible for "cures;" but I do believe that embryos can teach us more.  In fact they already are, and have the potential to double our medical knowledge in the next decade, but not by implanting them into human beings.

2-More importantly, I keep saying that the promoters you love so much, avoid mentioning the word cancer at all costs.  Only Dr. Thomson and damned few others have the courage to use the word in a world where they can lose their jobs just for saying it.  So your mis-educated fanatic mob will go to their graves not knowing that embryonic stem cells come from cancer and bring it with them wherever they go.


Don Margolis
Founder, SAIL NOW!
Save And Improve Lives NOW!
with adult stem cells

USA: 1-215-764-6312

VISIT  donrmargolis.com/blog/

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Austrian expert: Manipulation of embryonic stem cells no longer necessary

Vienna, Jan 21, 2008 / 10:58 pm (CNA).- Günter Virt, an Austrian expert in moral theology, said this week that given the advances in recent years in the field of adult stem cell research, there is no reason to destroy human embryos.

Virt said that progress in this area of research and in areas related to the reprogramming of induced adult stem cells means that the importance of embryonic stem cell research has diminished dramatically.

During a conference in Vienna, the moral theologian spoke at the inauguration of a congress on stem cell research organized by the Institute for Ethics and Law in Medicine. He told the congress “the human being is human from the beginning, that is, from the moment of conception, and therefore the manipulation of embryos is not only medically, but also morally unnecessary.

Throughout the meeting other experts encouraged the promotion of ethical research with adult stem cells and underscored the urgent need to protect embryos.

http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/new.php?n=11528

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SWEDISH SCIENTISTS FINALLY WAKE UP TO THE TRUTH ABOUT STEM CELLS

Using cells that actually may work on neurological diseases without causing cancer is their "breakthrough".....DUHHHHH

But first they had to avoid the lies prevalent in America that adult stem cells cannot become neurons (neurons are needed to treat Parkinsons and other neural diseases).   Notice, however, that, as in America, the word "adult" must be avoided in a positive stem cell article.

The emphasis in the second half of the article is mine-----Don Margolis

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Stem cell research aims to tackle Parkinson's disease

Scientists in Sweden are developing new ways to grow brain cells in the laboratory that could one day be used to treat patients with Parkinson's disease, an international conference of biologists organised by the European Science Foundation (ESF) was told last week.
Professor Ernest Arenas of the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm presented his research to the EuroSTELLS ‚“Stem Cell Niches‚ conference in Barcelona on January 11. Stem cell therapy hold the promise of treating disease by growing new tissues and organs from stem cells ‚ ‚blank cells that have the potential to develop into fully mature or ‚differentiatedcells. The EuroSTELLS is an ESF EURCORES programme, managed by the European Medical Research Councils (EMRC), that aims to develop a stem cell ‚toolbox by generating fundamental knowledge on stem cell biology.

Parkinson's disease affects around three in a hundred of people aged over 65. The condition can cause muscles to become rigid and limbs to tremble uncontrollably. Parkinson's disease results from the loss of a particular type of brain cell called dopaminergic (DA) neurons in the part of the brain called the substantia nigra.

Among the various approaches that are currently being discussed from an ethical perspective, is the possible approach of taking stem cells, growing them into new brain cells and transplanting these into the patient. ‚“The idea is to start with stem cells and induce them to become neurons,‚ said Professor Arenas, whose research is carried out as part of a EuroSTELLS collaboration. ‚“These could then be transplanted into the brain of the patient. Also, such cells could be ideal for developing and testing new drugs to treat brain disease.‚

However, to create such cells that function efficiently and safely is a major challenge. Early efforts at growing DA neurons from embryonic stem cells produced cells which, when transplanted into animal models, had a tendency to form tumours or clumps, or die without an obvious reason.

Professor Arenas's team studied the development of DA neurons in animals to determine the important biological molecules in the brain that were necessary for the cells to grow and function efficiently. The scientists identified one particular molecule that seemed to be key, a protein called Wnt5a. They showed that when this molecule, together with a second protein called noggin, was included in cultures of stem cells, far more DA neurons were produced than when these ingredients were not present.

The team then carried out a series of molecular, chemical and electrophysiological tests on the newly grown neurons to check their proficiency, which was shown to be good.

Crucially the team also moved away from embryonic stem cells ‚ which can be induced to grow into a wide variety of different cells. Instead they used neural stem cells ‚ which are programmed to develop only into nerve cells.

When the researchers transplanted the cells into laboratory animals whose substantia nigra region of the brain was damaged, the results were promising. ‚“We reversed almost completely the behavioural abnormalities, and neurons differentiated, survived and re-innervated the relevant part of the brain better‚ Professor Arenas said. ‚“Furthermore we do not see the kind of proliferation of the cells that has occurred in the past and we get very little clustering when the cells are treated with Wnt5a. The cells are safer than embryonic stem cells and more efficient than fetal tissue.‚

Verification of this approach with human cells is ongoing and if the study is successful, it may lead to a clinical trial. Experts in the field have recently identified this approach as the next step in cell replacement therapy for Parkinson's disease and the hope is that this may, ultimately, lead to cells suitable for transplant into human patients.

Source: European Science Foundation

http://www.physorg.com/news119875306.html

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LIGHTNING STRIKES TWICE

Professor Doris Taylor, the "mother" of adult stem cell research, has pulled off her second miracle less than a decade after her first.

While at Duke University in 1998, she  and her team fed young rats bad diets, causing heart disease,  then she gave them stem cells from healthy young rats  and the heart disease was substantially reduced.  This led to worldwide animal studies in 1999, and, amazingly, human clinical trials in 2001 and 2002, which led to thousands of heart patients the world over now leading better and longer lives, thanks to the patients' own adult stem cells.

Now at University of Minnesota, her current team pulled off another miracle. Here is an interview from Canadian doctors working in the same field, which is making new tissue from adult stem cells, only THIS time, Prof. Taylor showed that and ENTIRE NEW HEART is possible and can someday replace the need for heart transplants.  But before then, smaller items, such as heart valves and scar tissue will be possible.

"Canadian heart experts say new American research has brought us closer to a time when Star Trek-style replicators will be able to create human organs from thin air.   Experts at the University of Minnesota have regrown a rat heart and brought it back to life, and Dr. Jason Dyck and Dr. John Mullen of the Mazankowski Heart Institute (Edmonton Canada) are calling it some of the most exciting news to hit the scientific world in years.

This new research means that one day we could grow a new human valve from the patient's own cells. It would last even longer and there would be essentially no risk of rejection."
He said re-cellularization research is 15 to 20 years away from clinical applications and is especially promising for transplants.

"The number of people who need heart transplants far exceeds the number of hearts available. The ultimate goal of this type of research would be to grow entirely new organs for people."

Until then, such research is more likely to foster smaller applications, such as making new tissue patches.

"You could see surgeons replacing scar tissue on an organ like the heart with actual cells that beat and grow into heart muscle tissue.

"The prospects are thrilling. We'll be keeping a close eye on the research."

Meanwhile, in the field of embryonics, the "miracle of the month" press release was the cloning of an embryonic executive.  As with all embryonic miracles, it did nothing to bring treatments of diseased humans any closer, which some say is never.

DON MARGOLIS

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Dior use stem cell research for new XP creams
16/01/2008

This week's revelation is Christian Dior's new high-tech anti-ageing range.  It's the result of years of stem cell research and is set to revolutionise skincare by actively repairing, rather than simply preventing, the appearance of wrinkles.

To help us achieve younger-looking skin in 2008, researchers at Dior's Innovation Centre used the latest techncologocal advances to isolate the reconstructive properties of stem cells, the cells used to repair damaged skin, and use them to repair skin and remove wrinkles from the inside.

To activate and protect the stem cells' magic, the range contains a Stemsome system to target all levels of the skin's epidermis. On the surface, Bi-Skin smoothens out the wrinkle, TP-Vityl re-starts cell activity, and Bionectine strengthens the structure of the tissue underneath the wrinkle. The range is new for January 2008 but is already earning rave reviews for its impressive results.

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Adult Stem-Cell Therapy Could Treat Radiation Sickness

The U.S. Department of Defense is working with two biotech firms to develop a treatment for radiation sickness using adult stem cells extracted from the bone marrow of healthy adult donors, New Science magazine reported.
High doses of radiation can be lethal. The experimental stem-cell therapy is intended to repair the damage, which could save U.S. military soldiers if there is a nuclear explosion or radiological attack.
"The fact that the Department of Defense is seeking to use adult stem cells as a way to treat radiation sickness demonstrates the ever-increasing benefit of adult stem cells to help patients,‚ said Dawn Vargo, associate bioethics analyst for Focus on the Family Action.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Visit the Focus on Social Issues Web site.

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Uni breaks new stem cell ground
By Phil Fleming

SCIENTISTS from Lancaster University are at the forefront of ground-breaking research into human stem cells which could hold the key to treatments for cancer and other serious diseases.
The department of biological sciences is leading an international team which has successfully located stem cells in the gastro-intestinal tract.
Research carried out at the Daresbury Laboratory near Warrington has examined the chemical fingerprints' of individual cells using an intense light facility known as the Synchrotron.
The university's Dr Frank Martin says: "This is a powerful development, building significantly on our current understanding of human stem cells, particularly on how we can locate them in the body and how they behave.
"This same technique could be now be used in other parts of the body where the location of stems cells remains unclear and has enormous potential for research into life threatening illnesses or serious injury to the body."
The full paper on this research is published in the January issue of Stem Cells.

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Once again...to quote from ‚“STEM CELL STORY OF THE YEAR: 2007?

‚“You see, I look at embryonic stem cells from one perspective only: ‚“Does this advance in knowledge bring the treatment of incurable diseases by implanting embryonic stem cells one step closer to mankind.‚ In this case, the answer is a resounding ‚“NO!‚ ‚“

I feel the same way about this news. Much ado about (almost) nothing.

Don Margolis
Founder, SAIL NOW! Save And Improve Lives NOW!
with adult stem cells

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http://blog.wired.com/wiredscience/2008/01/stem-cell-break.html

Stem Cell Breakthrough, Sort Of

By Brandon Keim January 17, 2008 | 2:26:33

In a study published today in the journal Stem Cells, scientists made embryonic clones of two men.

Not to be a cynical, but what's the big deal?

The procedure, in which researchers from stem cell company Stemagen removed nuclei from the skin cells of two adult men and put them inside a fertilized and emptied-out egg, is already known to scientists and the public. It's the first step of cloning -- either therapeutic cloning, in which embryos provide stem cells for potential medical use, or reproductive cloning, in which embryos grow into a new person.

Both therapeutic and reproductive cloning are still in their early stages -- the latter because it's globally abhorred, the former because it's scientifically tricky. If scientists can figure out how to make viable embryonic stem cells from a clone, the human race would be a lot closer to personalized stem cell treatments, with new limbs and disease cures promised to anyone with a few spare skin flakes and enough money to foot the bill.

But this hasn't yet been done. Korean scientist Woo-Suk Hwang excited the world when he claimed to have pulled it off, but he was lying. Though Stemagen said their cloned embryos could be used to make stem cells, they didn't actually try.

On the plus side, unlike earlier cloners, Stemagen made their clones with skin cells from an adult rather than embryonic stem cells or cells from ovaries. If Stemagen's clones do turn out to be a viable source for stem cells, the procedure will be relatively practical. But that's a frontier-sized "if" -- and so long as it's unresolved, this study really doesn't deserve the sort of wall-to-wall coverage it received today.

Indeed, science journalists seem to know this. Witness the lead quote from the Associated Press story:

"I found it difficult to determine what was substantially new," said Doug Melton of the Harvard Stem Cell Institute. He said the "next big advance will be to create a human embryonic stem cell line" from cloned embryos. "This has yet to be achieved."

Melton also told The Scientist that "it would be hard to call this a major advance."

So why the coverage? Well, it's a stem cell story and there's cloning involved. Those are hot words in any season, and especially lately, with advances in other stem cell techniques (here and here) whetting public appetite for news of potentially miraculous biotechnologies. It's also hard for journalists to tell their editor, "Everyone's going to cover this, but it's not a big deal."

Neither does it help that scientists want to wash away the legacy of Woo-Suk Hwang, whose fraud jaded millions. But over-reporting an advance that could still fall short makes another disillusionment more likely.

Update: Reuters headlined their story, "U.S. company claims cloned humans and made stem cells." The lead notes that Stemagen made its clones in the "eventual hope of making matched stem cells for patients," but the writer -- who almost certainly didn't pick the headline, and thus didn't realize she'd have to correct for a false assertion -- never specifically says that stem cells weren't made.

Update Two: Rick Weiss at the Washington Post looked at this in terms of stem cells rather than cloning; from that perspective, he said, the study was significant, for it shows that few technical barriers remain to full human cloning.

Rick Weiss has long been America's chief fact-twister-in-charge for the embryonic fanatics.  Everything he ever writes on stem cells should be classified as "promotion," certainly not "news."

-Don Margolis

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