Obama's Misleading Stem Cell Ad Doesn't Address Adult Stem Cell Therapy Successes

So says Don Margolis. The founder of TheraVitae, my company now, and the first adult stem cell company in the world to treat heart disease patients. Alas, Don is no longer with our adult stem cell company. However, that hasn't stopped him from speaking out on the benefits of adult stem cell therapy as he does in this recent press release.

You may have heard the recent ad by Obama, the one where the mother speaks about her child with Type I diabetes:

"My name is Jody Montgomery and my daughter Maddy was diagnosed with type 1 juvenile diabetes at age 3. Six times a day, I take her blood. Six times a day, I pray for a cure. Researchers are working hard to do just that. Our best hope is stem cell research, and that's why we support Barack Obama."

Margolis says that if you listen to that ad, the average person is led to believe that as of this time, there isn't a cure for Type I Diabetes. His point seems to be the ad misleads you (or the average Joe) into believing there is no stem cell treatment for Type 1 Diabetes. However, if you do a little research (as I did), you can find stem cell treatments for Type I Diabetes using adult stem cells (not embryonic stem cells). Dr. Burt, the famous adult stem cell doctor at Northwestern University did a study here. Dr. Burt has also successfully treated patients with autoimmune diseases as lupus, multiple sclerosis, Crohn's disease, scleroderma and immune-mediated blindness.

Margolis also says they are treating Type I Diabetes with Adult Stem Cells in Latin America and Germany too. Margolis also suggests that Obama should check his new organization's (The Repair Stem Cell Institute) website's stem cell treatment center page, where patients with Type I Diabetes or other conditions can find stem cell therapies for their particular condition. Margolis also urges people to look at the clinical trials website, where they have the latest clinical trials in the United States using adult stem cells.

Yo Don, you failed to mention a certain adult stem cell company that is treating coronary heart disease, cardiomyopathy, and peripheral artery disease with adult stem cells. Although VesCell Adult Stem Cell Therapy is not being used to treat Diabetes at this moment, many of our heart disease patients report that their Diabetes has improved tremendously (as well as their hearts) thanks to the positive side effects of adult stem cells.

What do you think? Do you think the debate on federal funding for stem cell research (mainly embryonic stem cell research) is drawing away attention from adult stem cell treatments that are working now? What about patients right now who have incurable conditions or have fatal conditions? Can they afford to wait for a treatment or cure from embryonic stem cell research that may never come?

These questions raise more questions on the issue of stem cell research- if embryonic stem cell research is so wonderful, why does it need to be federally (tax payer) funded? Certainly, if there was big cures on the horizon (and therefore lots of money in it), wouldn't the big drug companies (like Pfizer here for adult stem cells) or private investors come up with the cash for it?

Where do you stand on this issue? I'm looking forward to reading your answers in comments.