For 100 million Americans suffering from devastating, incurable and often deadly conditions it's a Dream come true.
One of those is my son Jason, who became paralysed at age 7 after colliding with another player during a soccer game.
Like Michael J Fox, we did everything we could to promote the need for federal funding of embryonic stem cell research.
Now it will finally come to pass! We couldn't be more thrilled!!
It's about time. Advocates had become concerned that Obama would have the House and the Senate pass yet a third Stem Cell Research bill that had been vetoed twice by Bush, but though bills have already been introduced in both the House and the Senate, Obama is not going to waste any more time.
Obama to Lift Ban on Funding for Embryonic Stem Cell Research
By Rob Stein
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, March 6, 2009; 3:52 PM
President Obama is planning to sign an executive order on Monday rolling back restrictions on federal funding of human embryonic stem cell research, according to sources close to the issue.
Although the exact wording of the order has not been revealed, the White House plans an 11 a.m. ceremony to sign the order repealing one of the most controversial steps taken by his predecessor, fulfilling one of Obama's eagerly anticipated campaign promises.
The move, long sought by scientists and patient advocates and opposed by religious groups, would enable the National Institutes of Health to consider requests from scientists to study hundreds of lines of cells that have been developed since the limitations were put in place -- lines that scientists and patient advocate say hold great hope for leading to cures for a host of major ailments.
How much hope is there for cures to be realized soon? Well, those who are paralyzed have some good news already:
Word of the FDA approval of Geron's clinical trial to treat recent spinal cord injury patients with human embryonic derived cells has drawn enthusiasm from leading stem cell researchers. And there are already indications that other applications will be soon to follow.
Dr. Robert Lanza of Advanced Cell Technology tells us that his company plans to file with the FDA to begin a clinical trial this summer testing a prevention for blindness using embryonic stem cells.
One of the leading experts in the use of stem cells for spinal cord injury repair, Dr. Naomi Kleitman of the National Institutes of Health, says one of the biggest holdups with using embryonic stem cells has been that the cells haven't been able survive in a patient – but the fact that this trial is happening is proof that Geron has found a solution to this problem.
Dr. Nicholas Ahn, assistant professor of orthopedic surgery at University Hospitals in Cleveland, believes that the choice to begin the trial in spinal cord injury patients is particularly good because of the lack of treatment options -- "there is so much potential," he said. "A door has been closed for a long time and it has finally opened."
The first treatments will be for newly injured people, but it's a great start. Before long, we will even be able to help those like my son who have been paralyzed for many years. He is now 19 years old and looking forward to dating and participating in all the other activities we all take for granted.
Thank You, President Obama!