Georgia State University and the Georgia Institute of Technology are cosponsoring a seminar on stem research tomorrow, Thursday, January 10, at Georgia State’s Student Center in downtown Atlanta. I will be making a presentation at 2:00 p.m. on alternatives to embryo destructive research.  The seminar is open to the public.

No Comments »

Stem cell research was the subject of an institutional editorial by the Gwinnett Daily Post today. 

The editorial discusses federal stem cell research co-sponsored by Senator Johnny Isakson that would “not harm embryos but instead derives these cells from amniotic fluid and placentas, and from embryos that have died naturally.”  This legislation has been blocked by Congressional Democrats who apparently do not want any stem cell research taking place unless it involves the killing of human embryos.

Some, but not all, Georgia Democrats took the same view when I introduced the Saving the Cure Act in the General Assembly.  The Post editorial also makes kind mention of my efforts in that regard.

No Comments »

Fred Thompson spoke by video to the National Right To Life Committee last week. He introduces his family, speaks on the importance of life, talks about his efforts on behalf of Chief Justice John Roberts and addresses stem cell research.

No Comments »

The USA Today delivered this morning to my hotel room carried a front page story on a new scientific breakthrough suggesting that adult stem cells from skill tissue can be reprogrammed into the equivalent of embryonic stem cells — without creating or destroying an embryo.

I could not find a copy of the article at the USA Today website (or the Atlanta Journal-Constitution site, for that matter), but the Washington Post carried this report:

Three teams of scientists said yesterday they had coaxed ordinary mouse skin cells to become what are effectively embryonic stem cells without creating or destroying embryos in the process — an advance that, if it works with human cells, could revolutionize stem cell research and quench one of the hottest bioethical controversies of the decade.

In work being published today, the scientists describe a method for turning back the biological clocks of skin cells growing in laboratory dishes. Thus rejuvenated, the cells give rise to daughter cells that are able to become all the parts needed to make a new mouse.

If the process also works with human cells, as scientists suspect it will with some modifications, it would mean that a person’s own skin cells could be converted directly into stem cells without having to collect healthy human eggs or destroy human embryos — steps that until now have been required to obtain embryonic stem cells.

Earlier this year, researchers discovered a way to extract stem cells with the potency of embryonic stem cells from prenatal amniotic fluid, again without harm to the human embryo. 

As I have written before, I am a strong supporter of nondestructive stem cell research – research utilizing stem cells that are not derived by processes which destroy human life at any stage of development.  Stem cells from bone marrow and umbilical cord blood are being used today as medical treatments and cures for a number of conditions, including cancers and anemia.

I believe that the Saving the Cure Act, which the Governor signed two weeks ago, positions Georgia to become a leader in this medically promising and ethically responsible field of research.

No Comments »

The Governor today signed into law Senate Bill 148, the Saving the Cure Act.  The young man who inspired the bill, Keone Penn of  Gwinnett County, was on hand for the ceremony.  In 1998, Keone was cured of sickle cell anemia by an umbilical cord stem cell treatment — but only after waiting a year for doctors to find a stem cell that was a close enough match.  Keone understands first hand the importance of saving postnatal tissue and fluid for medical research and treatment.

Stem cells are plentiful in umbilcal cord blood, placental tissue and amniotic fluid, and they can be collected for medical research without destruction of human life at any stage of development.

Dick Pettys of Insider Advantage wrote this report of the bill signing:

Gov. Sonny Perdue gave his approval Thursday to legislation designed to promote stem cell research using postnatal tissue and other non-embryonic sources. It is SB 148, also known as the “Saving The Cure Act.” It was sponsored by Sen. David Shafer, R-Duluth.

The bill signing ceremony was attended by the young man who inspired the bill, Keone Penn of Gwinnett County, who was cured of sickle cell anemia by an umbilical cord stem cell treatment. Also present were about three dozen of the bill’s supporters, including representatives of the Georgia Christian Alliance, Georgia Family Council, Georgia Catholic Conference, Georgia Right To Life, and Americans United for Life.

The bill authorizes the Georgia Newborn Umbilical Cord Blood Bank to collect and store stem cells from postnatal tissue and fluid. It also creates the Georgia Commission to Save the Cure to oversee the bank and promote “principled and ethical stem cell research.”

“Stem cells from the umbilical cord are being used now to treat disease,” said Shafer. “Postnatal stem cells can be collected without harm to either the newborn baby or mother and without destroying human life at any stage of development.”

He added, “Keone Penn waited for over a year before doctors finally found an umbilical cord stem cell that was a close enough match. It is tragic that umbilical cord blood is treated as medical waste and routinely thrown away.”

Georgia Right To Life said that with the governor’s signature on the bill, “Georgia immediately emerges as a national leader in ethical stem cell research. Governor Perdue’s signature signals that Georgia wants to create an environment where stem cells are widely available from sources other than the human embryo and where collection of these stem cells will not result in the destruction of human life.”

The governor’s spokesman, Bert Brantley, issued this statement: “The Governor was pleased to welcome Keone Penn to the signing ceremony today, someone that has directly benefited from non-destructive stem cell research. He appreciates Sen. Shafer’s hard work, and looks forward to meeting many more Georgians just like Keone who are helped by this bill.”

Shafer said that he would seek start-up state funding for the bank in the 2009 state budget. Because insurance companies pay as much as $30,000 for stem cells used in medical treatment, Shafer said that he believes the bank will be self-supporting and potentially profitable.

The Medical College of Georgia operates an umbilical cord stem cell facility at its campus in Augusta. Lawmakers included a $750,000 appropriation in the 2008 state budget to upgrade the facility in preparation for creation of the Newborn Umbilical Cord Blood Bank.

The final version of the bill includes language which requires state funds to be spent in compliance with existing federal funding guidelines for stem cell research. This language prohibits the use of state funds for research involving the destruction of human embryos. It also prohibits state funding for the cloning of human embryos for research.

[UPDATE] This bill has been mentioned at Southern Fried Dixie.

[UPDATE] The bill is being discussed at Peach Pundit.

No Comments »

I was honored today to receive a 2007 Family Service Award from the Georgia Family Council.  This conservative group cited my sponsorship of Senate Bill 148, the Saving the Cure Act, and Senate Resolution 5, the Taxpayers Dividend Act.

The Georgia Family Council, headed by Randy Hicks and represented at the State Capitol by Jamie Self, does an excellent job advocating for public policies that strengthen the family.

Speaking of Senate Bill 148, the Governor will sign the bill tomorrow afternoon at the State Capitol.  Keone Penn will be joining us for the bill signing ceremony.

No Comments »

House Science and Technology Committee Chairman Amos Amerson today reneged, for a second time, on his commitment to allow a vote on Senate Bill 148.  This morning at 8:00 a.m., he called the meeting to order and then immediately adjourned it, refusing to recognize any of his committee members for a motion.

Had Chairman Amerson, who obviously opposes the bill, allowed a vote, it would have passed, 5 to 3.

The Atlanta Journal Constitution is reporting that the bill is dead for the session.

I am disappointed but certainly have not given up.

No Comments »

The House Science and Technology Committee heard mostly supportive testimony yesterday about Senate Bill 148, the Saving the Cure Act. Dr. Gerry Sotomayor, the founder of the Babies for Life Foundation, did an excellent job in testifying before the committee. The Georgia Nurses Association and Georgia Academy of Family Physicians have joined the long list of organizations supporting the bill.

Opponents of the bill, all supporters of embryo destructive research, made confusing and contradictory statements. In the face of probing questions by Representatives Chuck Martin and Hardy Davis, the bill’s opponents were forced to retreat from their initial claims that the findings of fact set out in the bill were “inaccurate.”

I was disappointed that Chairman Amos Amerson did not permit the committee to vote on the bill, but the Chairman has given me his word that he will allow an up-or-down vote on the bill this Thursday, April 12, at 8:00 a.m. I am confident that we have the votes to pass this bill out of committee.

No Comments »

The House Science and Technology Committee will hear Senate Bill 148, the Saving the Cure Act, tomorrow, Monday, April 9 at 2:00 p.m.  Representative Tom Rice has agreed to carry the bill for me in the House.

The legislation continues to draw support from across political parties and ideologies.  Dustin Brookshire, who wrote about the bill a month ago at his left-of-center blog, just posted this very strong endorsement of the bill. 

The Morehouse School of Medicine also recently offered its support of the bill, joining the Medical Association of Georgia, Georgia Society of Clinical Oncology, Georgia Osteopathic Medical Association, American College of Pediatricians, Georgia Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, American Sickle Cell Anemia Association and Sickle Cell Foundation of Georgia in backing Senate Bill 148.

For more information about the bill and my efforts to promote nondestructive stem cell research, visit Saving the Cure dot org.

1 Comment »

The Senate overwhelmingly approved Senate Bill 148, the Saving the Cure Act, but only after rejecting amendments offered by supporters of embryo destructive research. 

As I have written before, the purpose of Senate Bill 148 is to advance the types of non embryo destructive research over which there is no ethical controversy.  An amendment by Senator David Adelman, which was crafted to muddle this distinction, was rejected by a large bipartisan majority.  Senator Adelman then offered a “floor substitute” which, if passed, would have had the effect of sending the bill back to the Rules Committee, likely killing it for the session.  This stunt too was rejected, again by an overwhelming bipartisan majority. 

The bill then passed by a vote of 39 to 15.  Seven Democrats joined 32 Republicans in supporting the bill.  The two senators who missed the vote were both Republicans and cosponsors of the bill, so had all members of the body been present, Senate Bill 148 would have passed 41 to 15.

Still, fifteen members of the Senate Democratic Caucus went on record opposing stem cell research unless it included embryo destruction.  They did so even though every stem cell medical advance has involved stem cells from nonembryonic sources.  It was a revealing — and in many ways, disturbing — moment.

Senator Nan Orrock and Senator Vincent Fort, whose filibuster last year killed a similar bill to promote nondestructive stem cell research, joined Senator Adelman in voting no.  Senator Orrock was the lone vote against the bill in committee.

Keone Penn, who in 1998 was cured of sickle cell anemia by a then experimental treatment involving an umbilical stem cell, was in the Senate gallery to show his support of this bill.  He will be 21 years old this year.

Senate Bill 148 has been endorsed by the American Sickle Cell Anemia Association and Sickle Cell Foundation of Georgia.

The bill now moves to the House of Representatives.  For more information about Senate Bill 148, visit Saving the Cure dot com.

1 Comment »