Local Woman Cured By Adult Stems

By Carol Franz

From April to December 2002 my skull and bones were extremely painful and I had no energy. After nine months I was diagnosed with multiple myeloma cancer. This is a cancer of plasma cells that attacks and destroys bone.

It is also called bone marrow cancer. I endured six months of chemotherapy. Next my core stem cells were induced to multiply, collected, frozen and stored until after my final bout of chemo destroyed the disease. I lay in Syracuse Upstate Medical Hospital for five days and on May 20, 2003 the thawed stem cells were returned to my body. I was physically "born again." My nurses called me a "miracle." Since then my immune system has been growing and getting stronger. My cancer has disappeared. I received an autologous (myself to myself) adult stem cell transplant. Adult stem cells can also be donated by a twin, relative or unrelated donor.

In a groundbreaking study published June 23, 2005, scientists at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh discovered that adult stem cells have the same ability as embryonic stem cells to multiply. This study should erase doubts about the effectiveness of adult stem cells. With adult stem cells there is less rejection than with embryonic stem cells. This groundbreaking news shows that cloning embryos is not necessary.

Adult and umbilical cord blood cells are less prone to immune rejection and are plentiful in bone marrow, cord blood, skin, liver, bone, nasal and human fat. Stem cells are all through our bloodstream and bodies. Four million umbilical cords are discarded each year in the USA that could be used to harvest adult stem cells. A 37 year old paraplegic woman, who after being paralyzed for 20 years was able to rise from her wheelchair and is now walking with the aid of a walker after umbilical cord blood stem cells were injected into her spine. Cancer, sickle cell anemia, brain damaged, leukemia, heart, bone, immune systems, kidney, liver, ear, eye, MS, Parkinson’s patients as well as other diseases have been treated, helped or cured with adult stem and blood cord research. Doctors at Chicago’s Northwestern Memorial Hospital used patients’ own adult stem cells to build new blood vessels. University of Pittsburgh researchers have discovered that one type of adult stem cell in the human placenta has characteristics that are similar to embryonic stem cells in their ability to regenerate a variety of tissues. The cells could potentially be used to produce new liver cells, new pancreatic islet cells or new neurons to treat diseases. Unlike embryonic cells, these adult stem cells do not generate tumors.

Embryonic stem cells pose many unreported problems such as teratomas, carry virus infections through the original sperm and ovum. There are no successful therapies using embryonic stem cells. There is pressure to permit therapeutic cloning to harvest embryonic stem cells for medical research. Currently this involves the creation of a five day old human embryo only to destroy it after harvesting its stem cells. But, the State of New Jersey has passed a law that permits cloning, implantation, gestating through nine months!

Embryos that once lay frozen in an "invitro fertilization" lab have been adopted. Snowflakes Frozen Embryo Adoption Program, begun by Nightlight Christian Adoptions has now matched biological parents with adoptive parents resulting in the birth of many children. These embryos are gifts of life, not spare, raw material. We all started our lives as unique, complete embryos.

Embryonic stem cell research depends on human cloning and is teamed with moneymaking for the biotech industry. There is a tremendous amount of money to be made by selling embryonic stem cell lines and patenting human products. For every dollar given to unsuccessful cloning and embryonic stem cell research, it takes a dollar away from successful adult stem cell research.

God gave me a second chance at life and it did not come at the expense of an embryo. I am one of over 300,000 humans cured by adult stem cell research.

Editor’s note: Franz resides in both Oswego and in Malone and attends Notre Dame Church in Malone.