Fatal Stem Cells

RUSSIAN VERSION

First of all, I would like to express my gratitude for comments, professional advice and moral support that the author received while writing this article to Leonid Tafler M.D. (Avenue J Medical Center, NY), Joseph Kleynerman M.D. (Medical Center of Integrated Medicine, NY), Vadim Kolesnikov M.D. (Sinai Diagnostics, NY) and biochemist Emil Golub (General Health Institute, Florida).

I would like to present a few questions that I myself can not answer.

1. When threatening to veto (which would be the most likely event) the recent bill passed by the US lawmakers on research and use of embryonic stem cells our President is more concerned about lives of “unused” embryos rather than saving lives of gravely sick Americans. What is the logic behind that?

2. What motives are dominant in the presidential position: theological, political or financial?

3. Provided that George Bush believes that this problem has not been explored to the fullest extent and it is too early to give a go-ahead here, it is hard to understand why scientists should not take the ownership of this issue. Given that religious feelings are underlying the President’s motivation, I wonder if he heard the words of Dana Reeves, widow of the late actor Christopher Reeves, known for his portrayal of Superman, who died from spinal cord injury complications? “Those are not children, those are not even embryos. Embryonic stem cells, debated by our lawmakers will never become children…” - stated Reeves. 

4. In the event where embryonic stem cells might become a panacea for many mortal afflictions and revolutionary scientific discovery of the same scale and grandeur as Creek and Watson’s  deciphering the DNA structure in 1953 or mapping of human Genome during 1990 – 2000 it might be a treason against the contemporary and future generations?

 5.Can embryonic stem cells indeed become a panacea? Majority of researchers believe that very little has been proven so far and significant results are yet to be achieved. There is no serous statistical data on this issue, however, even though five years ago bio-tech companies were second just to the high-tech companies on Wall street trading floors, today situation has changed and not in favor of the bio-tech enterprises

6. Would our President approve the new bill what kind of funding are we talking about – 10 million dollars or 10 billion?

The scandal longer than life that never started

Essentially, any assembly on the Capitol Hill is a historical appointee of the Council of the Elders where sages chosen by people are not only determining the fate of tribes but also debating the crucial, sacramental matters such as "What should we do?" and "Is there life on Mars?" Their judgments become laws because it is an opinion of experts, men who not only understand life but who are also capable of interpreting it. 

Today’s main debate issue on Capitol Hill is worthy of the highest praises since it is philosophical, theological and politically incorrect at the same time. This is not some John Bolton who can’t get appointed as American UN council. No, today we are aiming higher – our elected representatives are speaking the words worthy of the Highest Assembly: G-d, Life, Universe, Fate of Generations… Russian representatives are punching each other in the face in Duma, only devil knows what goes on in the Chamber of Lords and I am not even going to mention the Israeli Knesset but here, in the US we are debating the higher issues and care about the fate of Mankind. The cause of all this commotion is smaller than any letter from the word that you’ve just read. Much smaller and incredibly shorter.  This object is being routinely dumped into the toilet or sink.

“Each and every one of us was an embryo once – ponders the issue a sage from Texas, Republican Congressional leader Tom DeLay – Abraham, Mohammed and Jesus from Nazareth
were all embryos at some point”. On Tuesday, May 24 his opinion was shared by 14 Democrats and 180 Republicans, total of 194.  Tom DeLay’s iron logic did not have any effect on 187 Democrats, 50 Republicans and one independent Congressman, which yielded total of 238 votes.  Thus the majority 238 pro vs. 194 opposing votes had passed the bill that could have expanded Federal funding for stem cell research.

Why “could have”? The situation is as serious as it gets. Four years ago, in his supreme wisdom (pay no mind to the modest suffix to his last name) George Bush-Junior banned research of human embryonic stem cells in the United States. This particular decision was overthrown by the House of Representatives.  Bush has a Power of Veto that he hasn’t used once during his almost five years of Presidency.  However, Bush-Junior had vowed that if it comes to that, he is going to give a harsh reminder.  Presidential Veto can be toppled by the majority of two-thirds of the votes but the analysts predict that proponents of the current bill can only dream of such ratio.  By DeLay’s calculations, supporters of this issue are going to be 52 votes short of desired two-thirds. 

Project’s main sponsor, Senator Arlen Spector, the republican from Pennsylvania believes the opposite: “Last year we got a supporting letter signed by 58 Senators. We are confident that we have 20 more votes today. This is going to be enough to overthrow the Presidential Veto in the Senate”.  Currently Spector lost all his hair, due to his chemo treatment for the Hodgkin’s lymphoma.  His humanitarian and personal interests in this issue are as just as apparent as  it is for all those people who are bound to die in 2005 and the following years, and whose lives could have been saved by embryonic stem cells.    

One of the bill’s authors – Diana DeGette said during the debate: “Under the bill, couples who have undergone fertility treatments and have embryos they won't use can then make the choice of putting them up for adoption, giving them directly to another couple, storing them, discarding them or donating them to science

Nonetheless, most likely couples are not going to get all these choices and the lawmakers are going to pass the transitional version of this project: they will say “No, No, No” to the funding of embryonic stem cell research and they are going to say “Yes, Yes, Yes” to the “frozen” research of 25 embryonic stem cell lines already in existence (on August 9, 2001 Bush-Junior has limited research to 78 already existing then lines but only 25 of those turned out to be applicable for scientific purposes) as well as support for the research of the so called “adult” stem cells.

In other words, Bush and his cohorts are going to win. Who’s going to loose? And who (or what) is standing behind the President’s victory? For now, the stem cell research in our country is banned, millions of people are dying (certainly, they themselves were embryos once!) from Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s syndromes, various types of cancer, strokes, heart attacks, diabetes et cetera.  Thousands of people are doomed even thought the stem cells could have probably
save some of them from deadly afflictions. So what’s causing all this ruckus?

American President is the most humane president in the world.

1. Bush-Junior – is an ideological, fierce opponent of stem cell research and use. His position has been articulated quite clearly: “This law crosses critically meaningful ethical boundary and creates new incentives for destruction of human life.  Crossing this boundary would be a grave mistake”.
The logic behind this is clear: assuming as a truism the fact that stem cells are extracted from the human embryos we are breaking the “Though do not kill” commandment and we are going to burn in hell as baby-killers. 

 “Every embryo is unique and genetically complete, like every other human being, - believes our President, - And each of us started out our life this way. These lives are not raw material to be exploited, but gifts.

That’s how easily and nonchalantly “embryos” in Bush’s speech were replaced by stinging expression “these lives” so now neither the President himself, nor his clique are having no doubts that they are saving innocent infants from the modern children-eating Moloch. It would be nice to remind the president that every worm is unique and genetically complete to the extent that it’s DNA is matching human DNA 97%.

Although, those are just details. In reality, I have no reasons to doubt the President’s confidence in his decision. There is no religion that would protect baby-killers. Bush is a religious person and as we are aware, coordinates his actions with his inner religious convictions. This is how he started a military campaign in Iraq – the Almighty Providence showed our President the way – to bring democracy where it’s not known and not wanted. Iraq is a first step on this long way. Think about it – not every president can boast such an intimate relationship with G-d, whereas Bush just claims without reservations: “G-d directed me…”. In our case, the Almighty frankly offered Bush to ban stem cell research. Well, let G-d be his judge indeed. 

P.S. While defining Bush as a “religious human” we would place an accent on the second word, we could understand the President, who is aware of the tremendous responsibility for each decision of that scale. What if we are opening the Pandora’s box, by giving the scientists right and funds to enter the Holiest of Holies of Mother-Nature, into it’s genetic lab that has not been well researched in respect to the stem cells. Would vampires, werewolves, zombies and gargoyles an innocent fantasy compared to the horribly modified face of the new humankind?...

2. Nothing personal. I don’t want to offend anybody, but  some other motives can be underlying the President’s staunch position. It is no secret, that Karl Rove, the President’s brilliant adviser, who had successfully managed George Bush Junior’s electoral campaign has been credited with securing the votes of American evangelists, conservative Christians and others. One of the main reasons why republican Bush has won over democrat Kerry was his bet on family values. These votes tapped the scales and brought Bush into the White House for the second time. Time to pay back the dues. For any religious concession or organization there is not even a question such as “should or shouldn’t we research stem cells”, since the embryonic material is a blueprint of divine plan and nobody but the Creator can venture in this domain.  So what else would you like to hear from George Bush Junior?

3. We are still talking about deep and elevated [issues].  What if there are earthly material interests that drive this problem, interests that have to do not so much with G-d but rather with his adversary? What if Satan and plain math are running this show and that someone or something is not willing to part with billions in profits. What if a powerful lobby is breathing down the lawmakers’ necks, trying to bury the bill? For some reasons certain circles are going to sustain losses because of this.  We will get back to this question later but for now I would just like to remind you that lobbying accompanies the passage of many laws.  There are many examples: Modern medicine is putting obstacles on the way of the non-traditional methodic, pharmaceutical companies are preventing “natural” medications from proliferation…  If it was possible to use stem cells to treat such devastating types of cancer such as stomach or pancreatic cancer, then a large number of medications and also chemotherapy and radiotherapy, raking millions of dollars for hospitals, will become obsolete.

Bush, however, even though is a current Caesar and G-d’s representative on Earth, luckily, is still not yet a living G-d, so what is not allowed in the United States is allowed in Mexico, Venezuela, Barbados, China, Japan, Russia, South Korea, Israel and many other countries. Let’s proceed to Mexico, specifically – to the quiet town of Tijuana that is on the border of sunny California, about half an hour drive away from San Diego. 

What are the chances to survive today in the US if you are terminally ill?

 There is virtually no federal research on stem cells in our country even though the cell therapy method as it exists today is already 17 years old. It turns out that as soon as a certain quantity of stem cells has been introduced into the organism they immediately begin to seek the damaged parts and problems in the immune system, dividing at a rapid rate. Stem cells are not specialized and can turn into cells of any organ, practically creating new, absolutely healthy organs and tissues. In case of heart attack they will transform into the heart muscle cells – cardiomyocites, or, in the brain that suffered a stroke these cells will transform into neurons and glia cells. Embryonic stem cells can transform into cells native to liver, bone marrow, they can localize a tumor and remove metastases. The list is mind-boggling when you get an idea of possible medical applications: oncology, liver cirrhosis, stroke, diabetes, psoriasis, multiple sclerosis, the diseases of central nervous and cardiovascular systems, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s.  In other words, practically full list of conditions that are not curable by modern medicine. Believe it or not since there is almost no statistical data and the attitude towards the research findings is mostly skeptical.

In the United States patient is going to get only officially approved treatment methods. For instance, oncology cases will be offered surgery followed by chemo and radiotherapy and then officially inform a patient that he has 10 months to live, a year at the most. You might be saved if the disease is diagnosed early and not for all types of cancer, but the agony will be only extended if the condition is not immediately recognized (which happens quite infrequently in the cases of pancreatic, stomach, prostate and breast cancers…)

If the mountain won’t come to Mohammed, then Mohammed must walk up to the mountain. In the early 90’s alternative medicine clinics opened in Tijuana. Those clinics offered oncology patients various vaccines for different types of cancer. Today, 15 years ago, embryonic stem cell procedures are taking place in this town where people come from all over the world searching for last hope. Here, they certainly might be cheated and administered bogus embryonic cells since the patient came searching in the dark, hoping to find the most decent people here in Mexico, people, who’s only concern is to cure him fast and at low cost. 

I was told about one doctor in San-Diego who already had about 20 remote procedures in Mexico, administering embryonic stem cells to the cancer patients. What are the results and if there is any reliable statistical data, is there any long term observation of these patients – these questions remained unanswered.

Thus, in Ukraine, as far as I gathered – at Kharkov Institute of Criobiology and Criomedicine are procuring about 100 million embryonic stem cells. As you can see, it is a single-item product. Small lab vial with a clear solution that looks exactly likes water. Stored in the special airproof tank, submerged in liquid nitrogen, the stem cells are being delivered by plane to New York and then by internal flight – to San Diego. Doctor travels to Mexico along with a patient who already had all necessary tests done. The trip from San Diego to the final destination point takes about 30-40 minutes. Embryonic stem cells are being administered intravenously. The entire procedure takes not more than an hour and almost painless. The most unpleasant part of the procedure is the price: 30 thousand and not of Mexican pesos. The payment is made in cash in two portions – first half before the order is placed for embryonic stem cells and the second half before the procedure.

Embryonic stem cells for the first two months are reading the body’s genetic code. This is the most dangerous part of the treatment since if the disease has advanced the cancer will have time to prevail – for two months embryonic stem cells are doing preparations and are not curing anything at all. Then patients start feeling like women during pregnancy: nausea, general fatigue, dizziness and other things. Exactly at that moment, about two months after being administered embryonic stem cells start working, after determining where immune system needs to be patched. On the 3 and 4th month cancer might go into remission. Or it might not. As it is well known, nobody can give a 100% guarantee.

The problem lays in the fact that we can only guess what the mechanism of embryonic stem cell application is. Are these cells going to treat a tumor in oncology patient or will accidentally start repairing a weakened heart muscle (in this case heart condition is going to improve but the patient might die of cancer) – modern medicine can’t predict that. The significant risk is still present since nobody knows how to target essential organs with embryonic stem cells.

And nobody will ever know that if we follow George Bush Junior’s doctrine.  Naturally, even without federal funding there will be researchers who are going to tackle this problem (a lot of private companies are deeply involved in this issue) only the results will be postponed for quite a while. During that period hundreds of thousands of patients who place their hopes on embryonic stem cells but can’t afford to pay thousands of $$$ for them will leave this world. How this procedure is going to work and how those cells will operate is another matter. What if these cells are even more dangerous than cancer cells and they multiply faster than cancer cells….

Now let us try to figure out what the “embryonic stem cell” is? What’s the deal here? Who or what are we killing here and is there a victim at all?

The culprit of hopes and concerns.

Out of more than 220 types of cells that make up a human body embryonic stem cells are the primal source of all things. They are first to appear when life starts and then each of them spawns a specific category of body cells and tissues.  Some of the embryonic tem cells are stored so that a human being can continue to grow and develop after birth and also in order to support body functions, rejuvenation and restoration of afflicted organs and tissues. 

5-7 year-old donor cells are universal and can be transported to any organ. To obtain a line of embryonic stem cells internal cell mass is extracted from blastocysts and are loaded into a Petri dish filled with nutrient cells which yields a colony of embryonic stem cells.  Marker molecules that allow our body to make a distinction between native and alien elements do not yet appear on the surface of these cells, causing biological incompatibility.  Tissue rejection is not a factor therefore it is not just affected organ being restored but rather the entire body rejuvenates and all systems and functions are brought into line.

So what’s all the fuss?

Hence, embryonic stem cells are obtained from embryos in early development stages (5-day blastocyst). This is where Bush and all the “Bushies” are correct: life even at such an early stage is life. The process starts with egg being fertilized and life triumphs. Anything prior to fertilization is not an issue for concern, otherwise condom manufacturers should all be hanged on light poles.  Billions of sperm cells are dying in vain in latex-covered sacks and this boundless cessation of life is never going to stop. Let’s be honest: life starts where one sperm cell meets his one and only egg and all false romance aside they start doing the G-d’s work. 

The question is different: would every embryo create as a result of this liaison produces a human being? The eternal abortion issue threatens to dominate this issue thus we are not going to discuss it just like we are not going to discuss the issue of stillbirths.  In our case it is not really that relevant for George Bush Junior who flatly claims: embryo is life. Period.

Naturally, embryonic stem cells are being extracted from a blastocyst for research but the truth in this case is ranges wider than that: these cells are being extracted from surplus of “in vitro” embryos obtained during artificial insemination procedure. When a couple can’t conceive father’s sperm and mother’s eggs are collected and then the insemination process takes place in a lab. Usually, this procedure yields several to several dozen embryos and only one is selected for implant into mother’s or surrogate mother’s womb. 

Medical professionals are not trying to wait for nature’s miracles and spouses get quite a few fertilized embryos that belong to them. After the childbirth, if desired they can use existing embryos stored at extremely low temperatures, to have two, five or twenty little tykes.  In the event where the one child is more than enough spouses can turn these embryos over to another needy couple or decide to destroy the unborn posterity. Now these unwanted embryos are being flushed down the sewer for lack of a better word.

That’s what the fuss is all about – embryos (read: embryonic stem cells) bound for a toilet. Certainly it is “life” but there is no way in hell these embryos will ever become babies. These embryos, destined to be flushed down the drain, can either be turned into life-saving stem cells or, abiding by George Bush Junior rhetoric, they can be destroyed, depriving terminally ill people of last hope for recovery in the United States. In other words, we can easily throw this “life” in the garbage but can’t use it to benefit real people.

Basic $$$ instinct

Just one gigantic Memorial Sloan Kettering oncological center in Manhattan offers surgery, chemo and radiotherapy, consuming millions of dollars.
Here is a breakdown of expenses covered by Medicaid for one particular cancer patient:
1. Pancreatic tumor removal and hospital stay: 27.945.84
2. Six months of chemo and radiology treatment: $69,621.62
Take a look at the attached bills and you will find out that Medicaid paid only $19,183.91 (Insurance Adjustment - $50,234.27). However, this is how it works between the hospital and a federal medical assistance program. Private insurance carriers usually pay much more. Still, nowadays insurance companies have grown so averse to paying, usually covering only part of the bill and holding out as long as possible that it is not really such a profitable business – running a hospital. 

The main reason for major medical centers to refuse stem cell treatment is most likely due to limited research data and lack of confidence in performance. Obviously, the loss of money that might result from phasing out traditional oncological treatment methods is another reason to pressure the lawmakers. But it is not hard to believe that if it was proven today that embryonic stem cell treatment indeed saves peoples lives hospitals would find the way not to lose a penny: for example they could offer mixed treatment including stem cells for cancer patients. 

To be or not to be

Right now, having no expectations of federal aid embryonic stem cell research centers are pounding on this problem. One such center recently opened in San Francisco and that gives us hope that some day terminal patients might be able to get embryonic stem cell treatment covered by federal medical assistance program. Will it help them or not is another matter. For now one of the few remaining options is to seek salvation in Tijuana assuming all kinds of risks. Considering that you are willing to try your last chance, are not afraid of risk and have more faith in embryonic stem cells than the entire official medicine combined.

Alas, faith is not a good bet in medicine. Extended research is needed and Bush Junior threatens to veto the financing of such research. If you are driven by religious taboos could it be an oversight to label something bound for garbage as “life”!? Mister President! What kind of life are you talking about when there is no chance for these embryos to produce a living being?

If the reason for presidential opposition is his lack of confidence in benefits of embryonic stem cells, why not allocate some money to research such a vital problem? Negative outcome is outcome as well and if scientists were to confirm that stem cell treatment has no benefits it should end the conflict right ere. And you will earn an eternal gratitude of all mankind if it is going to be your Presidency when salvation was found if embryonic stem cells will indeed turn out to be this salvation.

Ban on federal financing of embryonic stem cell research that result in a death of an embryo was introduced in 1995 and George Bush just confirmed it in 2001.  There “family” of an embryo (does “it” have parents or is “it a doomed orphan) has never been an issue even for President Clinton. American Presidents are religious people and they simply abide by religious taboos.  That’s how the “ostrich” policies came to pass: lets cut the financing so the embryos won’t grow. The argument such as “your citizens should have access to the embryonic stem cell treatment, among others” doesn’t work on our President. His religious intuition tells him that it would be wiser to steer clear of this issue and keep it under the lid. There are quite a few issues in history that should have never been risen.

United States with all our advanced labs, institutions, Noble prize winners and expert professionals rebuff an opportunity to become a leader in such unexplored field as embryonic stem cells.  We simply refuse to conduct research on federal level, letting second-rate clinics to meddle in things that should be handled only by highest-level professionals with some serious financial support.

The fact that other countries are deeply involved in research and even here in US private clinics are running major studies does not concern our ethically correct politicians. Hardcore principles like this lead to another well-known problem “brain drain”.  American scientists working in South Korea were participating in last week-televised debate on embryonic stem cell significance and perspectives. They reported from South Korea that they have already learned how to “tune” embryonic stem cells to work for patients with specific ailments or injuries. Our reply: “We don’t care”.

Thank you, Mister President, for your fatherly concerns! And I am talking about your concerns for the five-day old embryo (that has no name and no future) and not for your concern for my lives and lives of many people who routinely perform their civic duty by paying taxes and placing their trust in your wisdom.
Thank you, Mr. President, from all of us!

Gennady Katsov
Editor-in-Chief of Russian-American magazine “METRO”, New York

What does future hold for us?

- The analysis of embryonic stem cell treatment for 61 patient (38 men, 23 women, median age – 48,4 years) suffering from Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, better known as Lou Gehrig’s disease (treatment duration up to 1 year – 10 people, 2 years – 18, up to three years – 29, over three years – 4) the treatment has been administered in Cell Therapy Clinic since 1995 and showed that after the first cycle of therapy 67% of patients stopped suffering from fatigue, had improved appetite, their muscle spasms and seizures diminished. After two months 34% of patients noted improvement in joint mobility, stamina and appetite.

- In the year 2001 the number of oncology diagnoses reached 1,268,000 (552,200 fatalities). According to Cancer Statistic Review 1,500 Americans are dying of cancer every day. Cancer is a second cause of medical death in the United States (23% of deaths caused by illness) proceeded only by the cardiovascular ailments.  Every other man is diagnosed with cancer in the US at some point in his life, one out of three women and every fourth person who dies of illness – dies of cancer. 
Skin cancer is the most widespread, lung cancer is the most deadly – it tops the list for many years.
In 2002 there were 1,200 fatal cancer cases in children ages 14 and younger. Cancer is the leading killer of women ages 40 to 79, and men ages 60 to 79.  Cancer holds the fifth position as a killer of men ages 20 to 39. 
For men ages 40 and younger leukemia is the deadliest type of cancer, after 40 – it is lung and bronchial cancer.  Colorectal cancer is the second most dangerous cancer for men ages 40 to 79. 
For women 20 and younger leukemia is the greatest killer, for women ages 20 to 50 it is breast cancer and for those over 60 it is lung cancer. 

- Background radiation levels may vary but they consider to be safe in general. However, in certain spots (Pennsylvania, New Jersey, parts of New York State) specific geological formations cause accumulation of radioactive radon gas that leaks through the grown and can build up in the poorly ventilated basements. High concentrations of this gas can cause lung cancer.

- Radiotherapy methods often successfully treat skin cancer but liver cancer is not really susceptible to radiation whereas liver itself gets easily damaged by it. As a result, attempts to treat liver tumor might be more devastating for the liver itself compared to the expected treatment effect. When cancer spreads to other parts of the body this therapy might not be possible since large doses of radiation are required and that might cause compound complications. Complete radiation therapy course might me rather lengthy – 3 to 6 weeks.

- The main reason why chemotherapy can not be used to treat most of the cancer types is because cancer cells become resistant to these drugs or have partial or complete immunity from the very beginning. For example, if 99% of cancer cells will be susceptible to these drugs, then 99% of the tumor will be destroyed but it won’t have any effect on the remaining 1% of cells that will continue to grow.