Message #14 From:
Jason Date: April 28, 2006 06:34:10 AM
Cord Blood America (OTC BB: CBAI): In the News
Cord Blood America (OTC BB: CBAI message board, news, dd, quote) is the umbilical cord blood stem cell preservation company focused on bringing the life saving potential of stem cells to families nationwide. This clipping service will keep you up-to-date on accomplishments in this important health arena.xml:namespace prefix = "o" ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 24, 2006
Illinois Gov. Blagojevich, Comptroller Hynes announce $10 million in state stem cell research grants
CHICAGO – Governor Rod R. Blagojevich and Comptroller Dan Hynes today announced ten grants worth a total of $10 million for the life-saving work of stem cell research at several Illinois hospitals and research institutions. Last summer by Executive Order, Governor Blagojevich and Comptroller Hynes created the Illinois Regenerative Medicine Institute (IRMI), making Illinois the first state in the Midwest, and only the fourth state in the nation, to commit public funds to stem cell research. Researching and studying stem cells allows scientists and doctors to better understand what causes serious medical illnesses and conditions such as Alzheimer's, diabetes, spinal cord injury, stroke, and heart disease, in hopes of discovering new ways to treat or even cure them.
"The promise of stem cell research is unlimited. We need to do everything we can to help our scientists and researchers make the most of it," said Governor Blagojevich.
"In the world of medical research, the fight for cures is waged one grant at a time. Today, I am proud to say we've given our scientists ten million more weapons to win that fight. In so doing, we are also giving hope to the millions of Americans who suffer from debilitating diseases that stem cell research has the potential to defeat," said Comptroller Hynes.
Stem cells are cells that have the potential to develop into many different types of healthy new cells in the body. As described by the National Institutes of Health, they act like an internal repair system for the body. Stem cells can divide to replenish other cells for as long as the body is alive. When a stem cell divides, each new cell has the potential to either remain a stem cell or become another type of cell like a muscle cell, a red blood cell, or a brain cell.
Studying stem cells allows doctors to analyze how cells transform into other cells. Many of the most serious illnesses or birth defects are caused by problems during the transformation process. Understanding the process better may help doctors discover how to prevent, treat or cure illnesses and conditions.
A potential way to use stem cells is to make new cells or tissues for medical therapies. Currently, donated organs and tissues are used to replace those that are diseased or destroyed. But there are far more people who need organ transplants than there are organs available. Some stem cells offer the possibility of making replacement cells and tissues to treat various diseases and conditions in organs including Alzheimer's, spinal cord injury, stroke, burns, heart disease, diabetes, osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis, before organs need replacement.
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Perdue Signs Core Blood Measure
[http://www.11alive.com/assetpool/images/051621438_perdue_dmvs.jpg]
Governor Sonny Perdue
Reported By: Denis O'Hayer
4/14/2006
Saying it will help the fight against diseases from Sickle Cell to Alzheimer's, Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue signed an executive order on Friday, setting up a system to store umbilical cord blood.
Cord blood is rich in stem cells, which may hold the key to treating scores of diseases.
Attorney John Brent has mild cognitive impairment, a precursor to Alzheimer's. He says he was glad Gov. Perdue wants to boost the supply of stem cell sources.
"How will this help me? I don't know -- and that really isn't the point. The point is that it can help other people," Brent said.
The governor said his order will save lives, by making more umbilical cord blood available. But he ruled out research on stem cells from embryos.
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CHINA'S ANNOUNCES FIRST UMBILICAL CORD BLOOD BANK
TIANJIN, China, April 26 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- Tianjin Economic-Technological Development Area announced today that the first Umbilical Cord Mesenchymal Stem Cell Bank in China, an important component of the national stem cell system project, has been established in Tianjin University Science Park. This achievement follows on from the establishment and opening of the most advanced stem cell bank, with the largest Umbilical Cord Blood Hemopoietic Stem Cell Bank, in 2001.
The new bank will considerably improve the diagnosis and treatment of stem cell products for malignant hemopathies, immunodeficiency diseases, hereditary diseases, and malignant tumors and will accelerate conversion of achievements of stem cell-related technologies and genetic engineering-related research into practical productive forces, marking that our nation's industrialization of stem cell engineering products has climbed to new heights.
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April 25, 2006
Wisconsin Gov. Doyle commits $5 million to boost stem cell research
EMILY FREDRIX
Associated Press
WAUWATOSA, Wis. - Gov. Jim Doyle directed the state Tuesday to spend $5 million to help recruit stem cell researchers to Wisconsin.The state Department of Commerce will spend the money marketing the state as a leader in stem cell research under the executive order Doyle signed at the Medical College of Wisconsin.
"I think we should settle for nothing less than being the stem cell leader, not only in this country but in the world," Doyle said. Doyle said during this year's State of the State address that he wants Wisconsin to capture 10 percent of the stem cell research market by 2015. The state expects the market for stem cell research products nationwide to create 100,000 jobs and reach $10 billion in the next 10 years. The state's biotech firms currently employ 22,000 people and contribute $7 billion to the state's economy, he said. Stem cell therapies could hold cures for a host of debilitating illnesses such as cancer, multiple sclerosis and Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases, Doyle said
