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AGOURA HILLS--- With California Stem Cell Initiative Looming, Public Confused about Role of Adult Stem Cells, New NeoStem Survey Reveals |
| 8/24/2004 @ 9:08 AM
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As the stem cell debate takes center stage this political season, a new nationwide survey reveals widespread confusion among Americans about stem cells -- particularly the difference between adult and embryonic stem cells and the importance of the former in fighting diseases today.
According to the survey -- conducted among 1,182 Americans in mid-July by Synovate of Chicago, on behalf of NeoStem (www.neostem.com) -- 40 percent of Americans claim to be "very" or "somewhat" familiar with the topic of adult stem cells. But of that "knowledgeable" sample, 68 percent erroneously believe adult stem cells are harvested from embryos and 65 percent incorrectly say adult stem cells don't have the potential to cure diseases as embryonic stem cells do. NeoStem is pioneering the collection, processing and storage of adult stem cells for medical treatments in cardiovascular disease, cancer and other medical needs.
The survey comes as Californians prepare to vote this November on whether or not the state should fund a $3 billion bond issue to support stem cell research. On the national level, Ron Reagan recently addressed the Democratic National Convention in support of embryonic stem cell research, helping to crystallize the issue for the upcoming presidential campaign.
The NeoStem/Synovate survey asked respondents how familiar they are with the topic of adult stem cells, and then asked them to indicate whether four statements about the topic were true or false.
While a large percentage of respondents in the "knowledgeable" sample answered correctly that adult stem cells can treat diseases like radiation sickness, leukemia and heart attacks (71 percent), nearly that same amount (65 percent) erroneously said that adult stem cells don't have the potential to cure diseases as embryonic stem cells do, vividly demonstrating the high level of confusion surrounding stem cells.
"Based on our survey findings, this appears to be a case where people think they know more than they do, which can be dangerous when you're talking about potential life-saving procedures," said Denis Rodgerson, Ph.D., CEO, NeoStem. "Obviously there is a lot of confusion about the difference between adult and embryonic stem cells and what they can do. The term 'stem cell' sparks a great deal of controversy and emotion, but the fact is adult stem cells have been used for years, successfully, to fight diseases.
"Embryonic research is still a long way from human clinical tests, but adult stem cell therapy has long been a standard of care, and it carries with it absolutely no controversy," he said. "If you want to use stem cells for therapy today there's only one way to do it, and that's to use adult stem cells -- either donated from a third party, or your own."
Claims of understanding increased consistently as education and income levels went up. Just 28 percent of those with high school education or less said they were "very" or "somewhat" familiar with the topic of adult stem cells, rising to 41 percent for respondents with at least some college and to 68 percent for those with a post-graduate degree. Thirty-four percent of respondents earning less than $25,000 a year said they were "very" or "somewhat" familiar with adult stem cells, while that number rose to 46 percent for those with annual salaries of more than $75,000.
Interestingly, most of those in the high education and income categories who claimed knowledge of adult stem cells demonstrated quite the opposite when asked if adult stem cells are harvested from embryos. Seventy-five percent of those with post-graduate degrees, and nearly 70 percent of respondents with at least some college, incorrectly answered yes -- along with slightly more than 70 percent of respondents in the top two income categories.
Among the survey's other findings:
- - Eighty-five percent of those claiming to be "very" or "somewhat" familiar correctly said that adult stem cells can be frozen and stored to be used at a later date for therapy.
- - Women were slightly more likely than men to understand the disease-fighting potential of adult stem cells -- with 74 percent of women saying adult stem cells can treat diseases (compared to 68 percent of men) and 37 percent saying adult stem cells have the potential to cure diseases as embryonic stem cells do (compared with 33 percent of men).
- - By contrast, more men correctly disagreed with the statement that adult stem cells are harvested from embryos, with 36 percent of men versus 29 percent of women correctly labeling that a false statement.
Stem cell transplantation is a standard of care in treating many forms of leukemia, lymphoma, and multiple myeloma, as well as some 70 other life-threatening conditions. Once thought to be irreversible, the damage to heart muscle that occurs from a heart attack now is believed to be mitigated by the regenerative power of one's own transplanted stem cells. Data emerging from various clinical trials worldwide led the American Heart Association to describe the use of one's own stem cells to repair heart damage as one of the "top 10 lifesaving advances" in 2003.
Using one's own stem cells significantly reduces the cost of treatment, shortens hospital stays and, most importantly, eliminates the threat of rejection that often develops by using allogeneic (someone else's) stem cells.
The California Stem Cell Research and Cures Initiative establishes the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine to regulate stem cell research and provide funding, through grants and loans for such research and research facilities. The measure provides the majority of its $3 billion for embryonic stem cell research, with a secondary focus on cord blood and adult stem cell research.
The company requires no government funding to continue providing access to adult stem cell therapeutics, and will not be affected by the outcome of the California initiative.
About NeoStem
Based in Agoura Hills, Calif., NeoStem Inc. (www.neostem.com) is pioneering the collection, processing and storage of adult stem cells for medical treatments. NeoStem is engaged in autologous stem cell collection for therapy, which does not involve embryonic or fetal stem cells in any way. NeoStem was founded by former executives and founders of StemCyte, Inc., the world's second largest umbilical cord stem cell bank. In addition to other proprietary intellectual properties in the field of stem cell therapeutics, cellular biology and laboratory medicine, the company has developed and filed numerous patents on the processing techniques and therapeutic applications of adult stem cells for future health care needs. |
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