American Diabetes Association: Senate Should Send White House Strong Message of Support for Embryonic Stem Cell Research

ADA urges U.S. Senate to pass Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act;

legislation offers great hope to advance search for a diabetes cure

    ALEXANDRIA, Va., April 9 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The American
 Diabetes Association (ADA) -- the nation's leading voluntary health
 organization supporting diabetes research, information and advocacy --
 today urged the U.S. Senate to pass, with broad bipartisan support, the
 Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act (S.5). The ADA is a strong supporter of
 the legislation, which would accelerate stem cell research by easing
 existing restrictions and supporting research that uses embryonic stem
 cells, while maintaining strict ethical guidelines. Congress passed the
 legislation last year, but was unable to overcome President Bush's veto. In
 January, the House of Representatives passed the legislation.
     "The Senate this week has an opportunity to send a strong, clear
 message that this will be the year that the federal government lifts its
 damaging restrictions on stem cell research, which offers great potential
 for a cure for diabetes and other debilitating diseases," said Darlene
 Cain, chair of the American Diabetes Association. "Nearly 21 million
 American children and adults have waited too long for this research to
 progress. Now is the time to give researchers the full opportunity and
 resources to make advancements toward a cure."
     Federal regulations that President Bush announced in 2001 have
 restricted the number of human embryonic stem cell lines available for
 federally funded research, and attempted usage of those lines has
 demonstrated that the number of adequate lines is even smaller due to
 contamination. Since 2001, scientists have discovered much better methods
 of deriving stem cell lines so that they do not face the same contamination
 issues. A significant expansion in the number of available lines is
 necessary in order to fully reap the medical rewards of stem cell research.
     Stem cell research allows scientists to better explore how to control
 and direct stem cells so they can grow into other cells, such as
 insulin-producing beta cells found in the pancreas. Creating new beta cells
 could mean a cure for type 1 diabetes as they would serve as a
 replenishable source of cells for islet cell transplantation. They could
 also provide a powerful tool for controlling type 2 diabetes.
     Diabetes is one of the nation's most prevalent, debilitating and costly
 diseases. Nearly 21 million American children and adults have diabetes, up
 from 18 million when the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last
 measured diabetes prevalence in 2003. If present trends continue, one in
 three Americans, and one in two minorities, born in 2000 will develop
 diabetes in their lifetime. The cost of diabetes in the U.S. in 2002 was at
 least $132 billion.
     The American Diabetes Association is the nation's leading voluntary
 health organization supporting diabetes research, information and advocacy.
 The Association's advocacy efforts include helping to combat discrimination
 against people with diabetes; advocating for the increase of federal
 diabetes research and programs; and improved access to, and quality of,
 healthcare for people with diabetes. The Association's mission is to
 prevent and cure diabetes and to improve the lives of all people affected
 by diabetes. Founded in 1940, the Association provides service to hundreds
 of communities across the country. For more information please call the
 American Diabetes Association at 1-800-DIABETES (1-800-342-2383) or visit
 http://www.diabetes.org. Information from both these sources is available
 in English and Spanish.
 
 

SOURCE American Diabetes Association