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Stem Cells, Dr. David Harris, and the Jimi Hendrix Foundation
Recently, The Jimi Hendrix Foundation had the privilege of meeting Dr. David T. Harris who has committed a significant amount of his time and life to the study of stem cells and their role in treating people with chronic diseases. He patiently explained to us the importance of stem cells and how they can be used ethically to treat people with chronic and debilitating conditions. These conditions affect many people in the world, including many in our own Renton, Washington, community.
The Jimi Hendrix Foundation feels it is important for people to know the facts of stem cell research and why we are supporting this research. The following was written by Dr. David Harris's team and describes the current work he and his team are involved in to help battle degenerative diseases.
Background:
"Stem cells are currently a hot topic, both in the lay press as well as the scientific community. Stem cells are the master cells of the body, giving rise to the cells and tissues of each particular organ. More and more these days it has come to be accepted that stem cells of one embryological origin can give rise to tissues of other derivations. Stem cells can be obtained from many sources within the body including fcord blood, bone marrow and adipose stem cells.
In Technical Terms:
"The ability of an individual's organ-specific stem cells to repair tissue damage is thought to be sufficient up to and for some time after reproductive maturity. However, the regenerative capacity and/or the numbers of such cells are often insufficient to meet the body's needs, particularly as one grows older. Thus, the incidence of chronic and degenerative diseases (e.g.; Parkinson's, diabetes, etc) increases with age and now poses the greatest burden on the health care system, as well as the greatest contributor to loss of quality of life. For example, it is estimated that in the USA at least 125 million individuals suffer from at least one chronic disease that comprises approximately 80% of all medical costs. California has set aside $3 billion dollars over 10 years to pursue this field of science. Other states have followed suit (including Wisconsin, New Jersey, New York, and Massachusetts) to prevent a brain-drain to the west. Thus, cell replacement therapy derived from stem cell transplantation has spawned the development of regenerative medicine.
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