Patrick Murphy Debunks Stem Cell Myths

I haven't covered much of the 8th Congressional District race though I will be in Doylestown tomorrow evening for the Scott Ritter/Ray McGovern Iraq War forum. Other bloggers like eRobin and Above Average Jane do a good job covering things in that neck of the woods. The Patrick Murphy campaign issued a press release attacking Mike Fitzpatrick's vote against stem cell research and it did a fantastic job of debunking some of the GOP's misinformation campaign against progress.

MIKE FITZPATRICK AND FACTS DON'T MIX

Congressman Fitzpatrick ignores expert testimony, ignores needs of
Pennsylvania families

Levittown, PA - Congressman Mike Fitzpatrick yet again sided with the
President yesterday in denying millions of Americans hope that they can be
cured of debilitating diseases. According to today's issue of the Bucks
County Courier Times, "Fitzpatrick voted against the original bill in 2005,
in an effort to prevent funding for what he calls 'unproven technology.'"
Congressman Fitzpatrick was so quick to defend the President's failed
agenda, he forget to check the facts.

"Experts from across the county have shown that embryonic stem cell research
far exceeds the capabilities of umbilical cord stem cells, or that of adult
stem cells," Patrick Murphy, Democratic Nominee for Pennsylvania's 8th
Congressional District said. "This is yet another example of Mike
Fitzpatrick choosing to rubberstamp President Bush's agenda over saving the
lives of members of our community."

SEE FOR YOURSELF, THE EXPERTS HAVE SAID IT:

Nobel Laureates' Letter to President Bush; Washington Post, February 21,
2001:

"Some have suggested that adult stem cells may be sufficient to pursue all
treatments for human disease. It is premature to conclude that adult stem
cells have the same potential as embryonic stem cells -- and that potential
will almost certainly vary from disease to disease. Current evidence
suggests that adult stem cells have markedly restricted differentiation
potential. Therefore, for disorders that prove not to be treatable with
adult stem cells, impeding human pluripotent stem cell research risks
unnecessary delay for millions of patients who may die or endure needless
suffering while the effectiveness of adult stem cells is evaluated."

Representative Joe Schwarz, R-MI, Congressional Record, July 19, 2006:

"As a physician, I am dismayed at the claims that adult stem cells and
umbilical cord cells hold the true pluripotentiality of embryonic stem
cells. This is simply not true."

Dr. Irving Weissman, M.D. Department of Pathology, Stanford University
School of Medicine, testimony before Senate Commerce Committee, July 14,
2004:

"In my view it is irresponsible to fail to pursue all such avenues in
parallel to stop or ameliorate the tragedies our families endure because of
these diseases. And of course, in my view it is worse than irresponsible to
ban these pursuits."

Dr. Robert A. Goldstein, M.D., Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer, Juvenile
Diabetes Research Foundation International, testimony before Senate Commerce
Committee, July 14, 2004:

"We do know that to date, adult stem cells have not been shown to hold as
much promise for juvenile diabetes as embryonic stem cells. Given this
reality, how can we turn our backs on other exciting research opportunities,
such as embryonic stem cell research, thereby potentially delaying
life-saving therapies and cures for millions of people? And how can we
adequately compare the effectiveness of adult and embryonic stem cell
research unless both avenues are pursued simultaneously and with equal
rigor?"

Dr. George Daley, Associate Professor of Pediatrics & Biological Chemistry &
Molecular Pharmacology, Children's Hospital / Harvard School of Medicine,
testimony before Senate Commerce Committee, September 29 2004:

"Although research on adult stem cells is enormously promising and has
already yielded clinical success in the form of bone marrow transplantation,
adult stem cells are not the biological equivalents of embryonic stem cells,
and adult stem cells will not satisfy all scientific and medical needs.
Moreover, a great many questions about adult stem cells remain unanswered. .
. . Claiming that the study of adult stem cells should trump the study of
embryonic stem cells is an opinion at the fringe and not the forefront of
scientific thinking.

"Adult Stem Cell Treatments for Diseases?" Letter to Science Magazine, July
13, 2006. Shane Smith, Children's Neurobiological Solutions Foundation;
William Neaves, Stowers Institute for Medical Research; Steven Teitelbaum,
Department of Pathology and Immunology:

"By promoting the falsehood that adult stem cell treatments are already in
general use for 65 diseases and injuries, Prentice and those who repeat his
claims mislead laypeople and cruelly deceive patients."