[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 52 (Thursday, May 4, 2006)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4005-S4006]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                               STEM CELLS

  Mr. BROWNBACK. Mr. President, another topic I will discuss is 
embryonic stem cell and adult stem cell research. I will show two books 
because we have a lot going on regarding stem cells and in stem cell 
research.
  I ask unanimous consent to have printed in the Record a chart on 
Federal funding of stem cell research.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:


                                                           U.S. FEDERAL TAXPAYER FUNDING TOTAL NIH STEM CELL RESEARCH FY 2002-FY 2006
                                                                                     [Dollars in millions]**
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                         FY 2002 Actual                       FY 2003 Actual                       FY 2004 Actual                       FY 2005 Actual
                                             ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                  Non                                  Non                                  Non                                  Non
                                               embryonic    Embryonic     Total     embryonic    Embryonic     Total     embryonic    Embryonic     Total     embryonic    Embryonic     Total
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Human, subtotal.............................        170.9         10.1      181.0        190.7         20.3      211.0        203.2         24.3      227.5        199.4         39.6      239.0
Nonhuman, subtotal..........................        134.1         71.5      205.5        192.1       113.5*      305.6        235.7        89.3*      325.0        273.2         97.0      370.2
NIH, total..................................        305.0         81.6      386.6        382.9       133.8*      516.6        439.0       113.6*      552.5        472.5        136.7      609.2
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
*Decrease from FY03 to FY04 is the result of a change in methodology used to collect nonhuman embryonic funding figures. This methodology change also contributed to an increase in nonhuman non-
  embryonic.
**Numbers may not add due to rounding.

  Mr. BROWNBACK. Mr. President, noting for the record the actual 
spending in 2005 on embryonic stem cell research, the U.S. Federal 
Government spent nearly $40 million on human embryonic stem cell 
research. We spent $97 million on nonhuman embryonic stem cell 
research, for a total of $136 million the Federal Government spent on 
embryonic stem cell research.
  That is a fair investment. We also spent $472 million in 
nonembryonic. What did we get for $136 million in embryonic stem cell 
research? Here is the folder that contains the human clinical trials of 
embryonic stem cell research in humans, treating and healing humans. 
This is the list of research results we have from a nearly $40 million 
Federal investment last year of human clinical trials with embryonic 
stem cell research. This is research where a young, embryonic human 
life is destroyed and stem cells harvested and taken out and applied.
  I note that this folder is empty. This is the list of research 
results we have from embryonic stem cell research on humans.
  We also invested in adult and cord blood stem cell research. The cord 
between the mother and child is rich in stem cells that can be used in 
a lot of treatment areas, along with adult stem cells. You have stem 
cells in your body and I have them in my mine. They are akin to a 
repair kit.
  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.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

     69 Current Human Clinical Applications Using Adult Stem Cells


                    ANEMIAS & OTHER BLOOD CONDITIONS

       Sickle cell anemia, sideroblastic anemia, aplastic anemia, 
     red cell aplasia (failure of red blood cell development), 
     amegakaryocytic thrombocytopeia, thalassemia (genetic 
     [inherited] disorders all of which involve underproduction of 
     hemoglobin), primary amyloidosis (a disorder of plasma 
     cells), diamond blackfan anemia, Fanconi's anemia, chronic 
     Epstein-Barr infection (similar to mono)


                          AUTO-IMMUNE DISEASES

       Systemic lupus (auto-immune condition that can affect skin, 
     heart, lungs, kidneys, joints, and nervous system), Sjogren's 
     syndrome (autoimmune disease w/symptoms similar to 
     arthritis), myasthenia (an autoimmune neuromuscular 
     disorder), autoimmune cytopenia, scleromyxedema (skin 
     condition), scleroderma (skin disorder), Crohn's disease 
     (chronic inflammatory disease of the intestines), Behcet's 
     disease, rheumatoid arthritis, juvenile arthritis, multiple 
     sclerosis, polychondritis (chronic disorder of the 
     cartilage), systemic vasculitis (inflammation of the blood 
     vessels), alopecia universalis, Buerger's disease (limb 
     vessel constriction, inflammation)


                                CANCERS

       Brain tumors--medulloblastoma and glioma, retinoblastoma 
     (cancer), ovarian cancer, skin cancer: Merkel cell carcinoma, 
     testicular cancer, lymphoma, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, 
     Hodgkin's lymphoma, acute lymphoblastic leukemia, acute 
     myelogenous leukemia, chronic myelogenous leukemia, juvenile 
     myelomonocytic leukemia, cancer of the lymph nodes: 
     angioimmunoblastic lymphadenopathy
       Multiple myeloma (cancer affecting white blood cells of the 
     immune system), myelodysplasia (bone marrow disorder), breast 
     cancer, neuroblastoma (childhood cancer of the nervous 
     system), renal cell carcinoma (cancer of the kidney), soft 
     tissue sarcoma (malignant tumor that begins in the muscle, 
     fat, fibrous tissue, blood vessels), various solid tumors, 
     Waldenstrom's macroglobulinemia (type of lymphoma), 
     hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis, POEMS syndrome 
     (osteosclerotic myeloma), myelofibrosis


                             CARDIOVASCULAR

       Acute heart damage, chronic coronary artery disease


                           IMMUNODEFICIENCIES

       Severe combined immunodeficiency syndrome, X-linked 
     lymphoproliferative syndrome, X-linked hyper immunoglobulin M 
     syndrome


                             LIVER DISEASE

       Chronic liver failure


                NEURAL DEGENERATIVE DISEASES & INJURIES

       Parkinson's disease, spinal cord injury, stroke damage


                                 OCULAR

       Corneal regeneration


                           WOUNDS & INJURIES

       Limb gangrene, surface wound healing, jawbone replacement, 
     skull bone repair

[[Page S4006]]

                       OTHER METABOLIC DISORDERS

       Sandhoff disease (hereditary genetic disorder), Hurler's 
     syndrome (hereditary genetic disorder), osteogenesis 
     imperfecta (bone/cartilage disorder), Krabbe leukodystrophy 
     (hereditary genetic disorder), osteopetrosis (genetic bone 
     disorder), cerebral X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy

                         Adult & Non-Embryonic

                           Stem Cell Research


                   Advances & Updates for April 2006

       Highlight of the Month--Stem Cell Hope for Liver Patients: 
     British doctors reported treatment of 5 patients with liver 
     failure with the patients' own adult stem cells. Four of the 
     5 patients showed improvement, and 2 patients regained near 
     normal liver function. The authors noted: ``Liver 
     transplantation is the only current therapeutic modality for 
     liver failure but it is available to only a small proportion 
     of patients due to the shortage of organ donors. Adult stem 
     cell therapy could solve the problem of degenerative 
     disorders, including liver disease, in which organ 
     transplantation is inappropriate or there is a shortage of 
     organ donors.''--Stem Cells Express, Mar. 30, 2006


          ADVANCES IN HUMAN TREATMENTS USING ADULT STEM CELLS

       Buerger's Disease: Scientists in Korea using adult stem 
     cell treatments showed significant improvement in the limbs 
     of patients with Buerger's disease, where blood vessels are 
     blocked and inflamed, eventually leading to tissue 
     destruction and gangrene in the limb. Out of 27 patients 
     there was a 79% positive response rate and improvement in the 
     limbs, including the healing of previously non-healing 
     ulcers.--Stem Cells Express, Jan. 26, 2006
       Bladder Disease: Doctors at Wake Forest constructed new 
     bladders for 7 patients with bladder disease, using the 
     patients' own progenitor cells grown on an artificial 
     framework in the laboratory. When implanted back into the 
     patients, the tissue-engineered bladders appeared to function 
     normally and improved the patients' conditions. ``This 
     suggests that tissue engineering may one day be a solution to 
     the shortage of donor organs in this country for those 
     needing transplants,'' said Dr. Anthony Atala, the lead 
     researcher.--The Lancet, Apr. 4, 2006; reported by the AP, 
     Apr. 4, 2006
       Lupus: Adult Stem Cell Transplant Offers Promise for Severe 
     Lupus--Dr. Richard Burt of Northwestern Memorial Hospital is 
     pioneering new research that uses a patient's own adult stem 
     cells to treat extremely severe cases of lupus and other 
     autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid 
     arthritis. In a recent study of 50 patients with lupus, the 
     treatment with the patients' adult stem cells resulted in 
     stabilization of the disease or even improvement of previous 
     organ damage, and greatly increased survival of patients. 
     ``We bring the patient in, and we give them chemo to destroy 
     their immune system,'' Dr. Burt said. ``And then right after 
     the chemotherapy, we infuse the stems cells to make a brand-
     new immune system.''--ABC News, Apr. 11, 2006; Journal of the 
     American Medical Assn, Feb. 1, 2006
       Cancer: Bush policy may help cure cancer--``Unlike 
     embryonic stem cells . . . cancer stem cells are mutated 
     forms of adult stem cells. . . . Interest in the [adult stem 
     cell] field is growing rapidly, thanks in part, 
     paradoxically, to President George W. Bush's restrictions on 
     embryonic-stem-cell research. Some of the federal funds that 
     might otherwise have gone to embryonic stem cells could be 
     finding their way into cancer [adult]-stem-cell studies.''--
     Time: Stem Cells that Kill, Apr. 17, 2006
       Heart: Adult stem cells may inhibit remodeling and make the 
     heart pump better and more efficiently. Researchers in 
     Pittsburgh have shown that adding a patient's adult stem 
     cells along with bypass surgery can give significant 
     improvement for those with chronic heart failure. Ten 
     patients treated with their own bone marrow adult stem cells 
     improved well beyond patients who had only standard bypass 
     surgery. In addition, scientists in Arkansas and Boston 
     administered the protein G-CSF to advanced heart failure 
     patients, to activate the patients' bone marrow adult stem 
     cells, and found significant heart improvement 9 months after 
     the treatment.--Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular 
     Surgery, Dec, 2005; American Journal of Cardiology, Mar., 
     2006
       Stroke: Mobilizing adult stem cells helps stroke patients--
     Researchers in Taiwan have shown that mobilizing a stroke 
     patient's bone marrow adult stem cells can improve recovery. 
     Seven stroke patients were given injections of a protein--G-
     CSF--that encourages bone marrow stem cells to leave the 
     marrow and enter the bloodstream. From there, they home in on 
     damaged brain tissue and stimulate repair. The 7 patients 
     showed significantly greater improvement after stroke than 
     patients receiving standard care.--Canadian Medical 
     Association Journal Mar. 3, 2006

  Mr. BROWNBACK. What did we get for our research investment in adult 
and cord blood in human clinical trials? This is the folder--it is 
getting heavy--of what we have discovered in human clinical trials with 
adult and cord blood stem cell research; real people being treated for 
real diseases such as bladder disease, lupus, cancer, heart, strokes, 
immunodeficiency areas, liver disease, neuro degenerative diseases, 
ocular, wounds and injuries, autoimmune diseases, anemias and other 
blood conditions, metabolic disorders, 69 human diseases being treated 
with adult and cord blood stem cells.
  For my money on this, I would rather treat people--get real human 
treatments--than in this area of embryonic stem cell research where we 
are getting no cures. We are seeing a lot of cancer cells growing out 
of the embryonic stem cell areas and treatments.
  Let's go for what is real. And let's do what is real. I further note, 
as I close, there is no prohibition in this country on embryonic stem 
cell research. None. No prohibitions. Yet why do the private companies 
not go into funding more embryonic stem cell research? It is because 
they are getting no results with embryonic stem cells. Nothing is 
happening results wise. Let's invest our money in adult stem cell 
research where we can actually treat people. That is important.
  I yield the floor.

                          ____________________