Please contact the group members of the Missouri Coalition and express your dissatisfaction with their support of this research.

Missouri Coalition for Lifesaving Cures Launched to Support Stem Cell Research

Patient Advocacy, Business, Academic, Research, Medical and Civic Organizations Join Together to Oppose Anti-Stem Cell Legislation

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo., Feb. 10 -- Supporters of stem cell research in Missouri announced today the launch of the Missouri Coalition for Lifesaving Cures, a broad-based group that includes over 60 leading state and national patient advocacy, business, medical, academic, research and civic organizations. The Coalition supports somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT), a form of stem cell research that has the potential to provide cures for many currently incurable diseases, and is actively opposing state legislation, currently numbered HB 457 and SB 160, which would ban and criminalize lifesaving SCNT research and cures in Missouri, hurting Missouri patients, research facilities and the state economy.

Some notable members of the Missouri Coalition for Lifesaving Cures include:

* Alliance for Aging Research
* American Diabetes Association
* Cancer Research and Prevention Foundation
* Children's Neurobiological Solutions Foundation
* Christopher Reeve Paralysis Foundation
* The Coalition for Plant and Life Sciences (St. Louis)
* Coalition for the Advancement of Medical Research -- representing more than 90 patient advocacy organizations, medical associations& research institutions
* Daniel Heumann Fund for Spinal Cord Research
* Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation
* Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce
* Hereditary Disease Foundation
* International Society for Stem Cell Research
* Jack Orchard ALS Foundation
* Jewish Community Relations Council of St. Louis
* Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation International
* Kansas City, Missouri City Council
* Kansas City Area Life Sciences Institute Association
* Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences
* Missouri Biotechnology Association (MoBIO)
* National Council on Spinal Cord Injury
* Parkinson's Action Network
* Project ALS
* Research! America
* St. Louis Regional Chamber and Growth Association
* Society for Women's Health Research
* Stem Cell Action Network
* Stem Cell Research Foundation
* Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City
* Washington University in St. Louis

A complete list of current organizational members of the Missouri Coalition for Lifesaving Cures is available on the Coalition's web site at http://www.MissouriCures.com.

"The proposed legislation is a misguided attempt to ban SCNT by defining it as 'human cloning,'" said Dr. William Neaves, President and CEO of the Stowers Institute for Medical Research in Kansas City, one of the Missouri research facilities that is conducting stem cell research. "In fact, SCNT makes stem cells -- not babies. SCNT provides an opportunity to use a patient's own cells to develop cures for currently incurable diseases and injuries that affect over 500,000 Missouri children and adults and millions of other Americans, such as diabetes, Parkinson's, ALS, MS, Alzheimer's, myocardial damage from heart attacks, and spinal cord injuries. We can all agree that human cloning to create babies should be banned -- but not lifesaving SCNT research and cures."

Stem cells are the building blocks for every type of cell in the body. SCNT is a new scientific breakthrough that allows scientists to make stem cells in a laboratory, by removing the nucleus of a donated human egg cell and replacing it with genetic material, or DNA, from a patient's cell, like a skin cell. This causes the egg to produce early, undifferentiated stem cells.

Research indicates that these stem cells can then be put into the patient's body to generate healthy new cells, such as heart, muscle and nerve cells.

Stem cells from adult tissues, called adult stem cells, have already provided some disease therapies. However, adult stem cells can only turn into a limited number of cell types and require a donor genetic match.

SCNT-derived stem cells can turn into any type of cell in the body and do not require a donor match, since they are made with a patient's own cells.

Because of the huge potential this has for curing many different diseases and injuries, SCNT is strongly supported by the overwhelming majority of medical experts and patient groups.

"SCNT is an extremely promising new frontier in stem cell research that holds the potential for successfully treating hitherto intractable diseases.

Physicians must have felt the same excitement and hope in the early days of antibiotics," said Dr. William Danforth, Chancellor Emeritus of Washington University in St. Louis. "The proposed legislation to ban SCNT would not only prohibit SCNT for research in Missouri research institutions but also stop the use of SCNT for patient care at Missouri hospitals. It would subject scientists, physicians, hospital staff and even patients to jail terms of up to 15 years just for trying to provide lifesaving cures through SCNT. I respect the right of those who oppose research with stem cells, but they should not be allowed to prevent all Missourians from having access to lifesaving SCNT cures that are developed in the future and available in other states."

"National patient advocacy organizations like ours represent thousands of patients in Missouri. We are strongly opposed to any legislation to prohibit stem cell research," said Veronica De La Garza, Advocacy Director, American Diabetes Association, South Central Region. "We are proud to be a member of the newly formed Missouri Coalition for Lifesaving Cures and we are committed to working with other members to protect potentially lifesaving research that could save millions of lives by providing cures for diabetes and many other devastating diseases and injuries."

"SCNT research has the potential to provide new stem cell therapies that improve the quality of life for millions of Americans, including people who have spinal cord injuries, and save the lives of millions more," said Michael Manganiello, Senior Vice President of Government Relations, Christopher Reeve Paralysis Foundation. "SCNT research is vitally needed and all patients should have access to any SCNT cures that are developed in the years ahead.

Decisions about medical research and patient treatments should be made by medical experts, patients and their families -- not by politicians."

Other members of the Coalition for Lifesaving Cures noted that banning SCNT research would not only hurt patients, but also damage the state's research facilities and economy.

"Banning this cutting edge research would send the message that Missouri is not welcoming to science and scientists, thereby placing our state at a competitive disadvantage in attracting and retaining scientists, entrepreneurs and life science companies," said Donn Rubin, spokesperson for the new Coalition and Executive Director of the Coalition for Plant and Life Sciences.

" In addition to blocking patient access to cures, criminalizing SCNT research and treatments in Missouri would threaten the future of our research and medical institutions, putting at risk thousands of existing and potential jobs and billions of dollars in investments and tax revenues in our state," he said.

Organizations and concerned citizens who support SCNT research and oppose the effort to ban SCNT in Missouri are welcome to become a member of the Missouri Coalition for Lifesaving Cures. You can join online by visiting the group's Web site at http://www.MissouriCures.com or receive a membership form that can be mailed or faxed back by calling the coalition toll-free at 1-800-829-4133.

COALITION MEMBERS
- Partial list, updated February 10, 2005 -

Disease & Patient Advocacy Organizations
Alliance for Aging Research
American Diabetes Association
Cancer Research and Prevention Foundation
Children's Neurobiological Solutions Foundation
Christopher Reeve Paralysis Foundation
Coalition for the Advancement of Medical Research
- representing more than 90 patient advocacy organizations, medical
associations & research institutions
Daniel Heumann Fund for Spinal Cord Research
Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation
Hereditary Disease Foundation
International Society for Stem Cell Research
Jack Orchard ALS Foundation
Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation International
National Council on Spinal Cord Injury
Parkinson's Action Network
Project ALS
Research for Cure of Spinal Cord Injury
Research!America
Society for Women's Health Research
Stem Cell Action Network
Stem Cell Research Foundation
Take Charge! Cure Parkinson's, Inc.

Academic & Research Institutions
Axion Research Foundation
Genetics Policy Institute
Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences
Stowers Institute for Medical Research
University of Minnesota
Washington University in St. Louis

Civic, Business, Governmental & Faith Organizations
American Jewish Congress, St. Louis Chapter
Center for Emerging Technologies
Central Reform Congregation
City Council of Kansas City, MO
Coalition for Plant and Life Sciences (St. Louis)
Edward Mallinckrodt Jr. Foundation
Ethical Action Committee of the St. Louis Ethical Society
Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce
Hadassah, St. Louis Chapter
Jackson County Health Department
Jewish Community Relations Council
Kansas City Area Life Sciences Institute Assoc.
Missouri Biotechnology Association (MoBIO)
Missouri Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice
National Council of Jewish Women
Nidus Center for Scientific Enterprise
St. Louis Regional Chamber & Growth Association
The BioGenerator (technology transfer center)

Businesses
The Camden Group
Certus International, Inc.
Charter Marketing Group, Inc.
CST Industries, Inc.
Dillingham Enterprises, Inc.
EXPLOR Bioventures, LLC
Hellmuth Obata + Kassabaum, Inc.
Initiatives Worldwide, Inc.
Innova Specialties, Inc.
Medical Care Management Group, Inc.
Optitek, Inc.
Peckham Guyton Albers and Viets Architects
Prolog Ventures, LLC
Steamatic of Kansas City
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