Tom Harkin: “Now, we hear claims that leukemia and lymphomas have been cured or treated by adult stem cells. Here is what George…”

“Now, we hear claims that leukemia and lymphomas have been cured or treated by adult stem cells. Here is what George Dahlman of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society has to say about that: On behalf of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, I am writing in response to assertions that adult stem cells have treated or cured several blood cancers, including several leukemias, lymphomas and multiple myeloma. As a representative of more than 700,000 patients and their caregivers in this country that battle blood cancers on a daily basis, our organization would like to emphasize, as the Senate debates H.R. 810 . . . that we exist today because we have not found cures for these devastating diseases. . . . the claim that treatment of blood cancers with cord blood, blood or marrow stem cells--known as hematopoietic stem cells--demonstrates a potential of ``adult stem cell'' research or is a substitute of embryonic stem cell research is misleading and disingenuous. Again, this says that the claim that treatment of blood cancer with marrow stem cells demonstrates that adult stem cells is a substitute is misleading and disingenuous. Mr. Dahlman concludes: The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society asks that you and your colleagues pass H.R. 810, and not accept any substitutes. Mr. President, we have heard a lot of talk about these embryos and that we all started as a dot. I have often used this example. I have said: What is an embryo?…”