Adult Stem Cell Treatments for Diseases?

Shane Smith,1 William Neaves,2* Steven Teitelbaum3
1Children’s Neurobiological Solutions Foundation, 1726 Franceschi Road, Santa Barbara, CA 93103, USA. 2Stowers Institute
for Medical Research, 1000 East 50th Street, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA. 3Department of Pathology and Immunology,
Washington University, 660 South Euclid Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA.

Opponents of research with embryonic stem (ES) cells
often claim that adult stem cells provide treatments for 65
human illnesses. The apparent origin of those claims is a list
created by David A. Prentice, an employee of the Family
Research Council who advises U.S. Senator Sam Brownback
(R–KS) and other opponents of ES cell research (1).
Prentice has said, “Adult stem cells have now helped
patients with at least 65 different human diseases. It’s real
help for real patients” (2). On 4 May, Senator Brownback
stated, “I ask unanimous consent to have printed in the
Record the listing of 69 different human illnesses being
treated by adult and cord blood stem cells” (3).
In fact, adult stem cell treatments fully tested in all
required phases of clinical trials and approved by the U.S.
Food and Drug Administration are available to treat only nine
of the conditions on the Prentice list, not 65 [or 72 (4)]. In
particular, allogeneic stem cell therapy has proven useful in
treating hematological malignancies and in ameliorating the
side effects of chemotherapy and radiation. Contrary to what
Prentice implies, however, most of his cited treatments
remain unproven and await clinical validation. Other claims,
such as those for Parkinson’s or spinal cord injury, are simply
untenable.

The references Prentice cites as the basis for his list
include various case reports, a meeting abstract, a newspaper
article, and anecdotal testimony before a Congressional
committee. A review of those references reveals that Prentice
not only misrepresents existing adult stem cell treatments but
also frequently distorts the nature and content of the
references he cites (5).

For example, to support the inclusion of Parkinson’s
disease on his list, Prentice cites Congressional testimony by
a patient (6) and a physician (7), a meeting abstract by the
same physician (8), and two publications that have nothing to
do with stem cell therapy for Parkinson’s (9, 10). In fact,
there is currently no FDA-approved adult stem cell
treatment—and no cure of any kind—for Parkinson’s disease.
For spinal cord injury, Prentice cites personal opinions
expressed in Congressional testimony by one physician and two patients (11).

There is currently no FDA-approved adult

stem cell treatment or cure for spinal cord injury.
The reference Prentice cites for testicular cancer on his list
does not report patient response to adult stem cell therapy
(12); it simply evaluates different methods of adult stem cell
isolation.

The reference Prentice cites on non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma
does not assess the treatment value of adult stem cell
transplantation (13); rather, it describes culture conditions for
the laboratory growth of stem cells from lymphoma patients.
Prentice’s listing of Sandhoff disease, a rare disease that
affects the central nervous system, is based on a layperson’s
statement in a newspaper article (14). There is currently no
cure of any kind for Sandhoff disease.
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.

File - The Falacy of Adult Stem Cell Cures.doc

File : The Falacy of Adult Stem Cell Cures.doc
Description : This is an article prepared by Don Reed who helped get the Proposition 71 passed to fund embryonic stem cell research in California. Often times, anti-embryonic stem cell supporters say there are over 70 cures from adult stem cells. This article refutes that list. Feel free to send this article to those you know. Steve Meyer, Moderator

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