10 Years of Stem Cell Science? Where's the Beef?

The University of Wisconsin just put out a press release celebrating the 10 year anniversary of Dr. James Thompson's published paper titled "Embryonic Stem Cell Lines Derived from Human Blastocysts" which according to the press release

"rocked biology - and the world - as the all-purpose stem cell and its possibilities were ushered into the limelight."

The feat was hailed as a remarkable biomedical coup, a development that would one day revolutionize transplant therapy by making unlimited amounts of cells of all types available for transplant, and as a crucible for drug discovery and window to the earliest stages of human development.

WOW! "rocked biology "ushered into the limelight" "A remarkable biomedical coup?" "a crucible and a window"? Perhaps the writer should enter a writing contest.

Reading this full press release, you would never know that during the last 10 years, tremendous discoveries have been made in the use of adult stem cells to cure or help diseases and conditions/injuries in humans. Heart disease, Peripheral Artery Disease, just to name a couple.

And this is what really caught my eye. The press release goes on to mention several "stem cell milestones"- NONE OF WHICH INVOLVE HELPING HUMANS

Here is part of the list:

• Nov. 2, 2004: California voters approve Proposition 71, which authorizes the state to spend $3 billion over ten years on embryonic stem cell research.
• Nov. 20, 2004: Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle announces that Wisconsin will invest up to $750 million over several years in biomedical research, including new building initiatives and direct support for research. The announcement is the catalyst for the development of the public-private Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery.
• Oct. 3, 2005: The National Institutes of Health names WiCell as the nation's first National Stem Cell Bank.
• Jan. 1, 2006: WiCell researchers announce the development of stem cell culture media free of animal products, a development necessary to culture cells for therapy in humans.

Look at that last one- "development of stem cell culture media free of animal products" That sounds exactly like VesCell stem cell therapy- where we have been helping heart patients with our special process of stem cells since the beginning of 2005- one full year before this "milestone."!- and the technology was developed 2-3 years before that!

Ask Bob Grinstead- he will confirm this. Bob was the first person to make the journey from the United States to Bangkok to receive his adult stem cells to treat his heart disease. You can reach Bob directly at 770-354-5186 or email him at bobgrinstead@yahoo.com

While others can trumpet discoveries, breakthroughs and milestones, we at VesCell would prefer to let our adult stem cell heart patients do the talking!