November 2, 2006

Congressman Pitts Hails Funding for Cord Blood Stem Cell Therapies

Washington – Congressman Joe Pitts (R, PA-16) hailed today’s announcement of the first in a series of grants resulting from the Stem Cell Therapeutic and Research Act of 2005 (PL 109-129) which authorized the creation of a national bank of umbilical cord blood rich in adult stem cells.  The legislation passed by overwhelming margins in Congress and was signed into law last December by President Bush.  The grants announced today by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services total more than $12 million.

“Today’s announcement proves that Members of Congress can be both pro-stem cell research and pro-life,” Congressman Pitts said.  “Unlike research requiring the destruction of human embryos, cord blood stem cells are successfully treating human patients today.  These grants will truly allow medical waste to be turned into medical miracles.”

Background

The Stem Cell Therapeutic and Research Act of 2005 (PL 109-129) authorized the creation of a national program to collect 150,000 units of cord blood, focused on genetic diversity.  It also creates a registry to link public cord blood banks nationwide so that physicians can search the whole bank for a blood or bone marrow match.

Adult stem cells derived from umbilical cord blood are non-controversial and are already providing treatments for a host of diseases including leukemia, sickle cell anemia, cerebral palsy, and Hodgkin’s disease.  In fact, just this week, scientists in Britain announced that they used cord blood to grow the world’s first artificial liver. While these artificial livers are not yet ready for transplant into humans, the development once again shows that stem cells derived from ethical sources are showing greater promise in delivering real treatments for actual patients.

Stem cell research requiring the destruction of human embryos is yet to produce a single successful treatment in humans.

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