ALEXANDRIA, Va., June 29 /PRNewswire/ -- With the U.S. Senate expected to consider a unanimous consent package that would include the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act (H.R. 810/S.471), the American Diabetes Association (ADA) today strongly urged Senators to allow the bill to be debated and ultimately passed. The ADA has been a strong supporter of the bill, which would accelerate stem cell research by easing existing restrictions and supporting research that uses embryonic stem cells. Scientists believe this research offers great promise in the search of a cure and better treatment for diabetes, one of the nation's most prevalent, debilitating and deadly diseases.
It has been a year since the U.S. House of Representatives passed the stem cell legislation with clear, bipartisan support, but it has languished in the Senate since, despite the support of Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist. Public opinion polls show a strong majority of Americans support stem cell research, and it is expected that the Senate would pass the bill if it were brought to a vote.
"How much longer can the Senate avoid debate on this vital legislation?" asked Lawrence T. Smith, Chair of the Board of the American Diabetes Association, and the father of a daughter who has type 1 diabetes. "Every day the Senate fails to act to pass stem cell legislation is a missed opportunity. Simply blocking debate on this legislation will send a message to Americans who suffer from diabetes, cancer, Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, spinal cord injuries and other debilitating diseases and disorders that they will have to continue to wait and hope for the cures and treatments that many experts believe embryonic stem cell research can deliver."
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 incidence 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; one in ten healthcare dollars is spent on diabetes and its complications.
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-) or visit http://www.diabetes.org. Information from both these sources is available in English and Spanish.
SOURCE American Diabetes Association