MPs see video of rat's stem-cell cure By Mark Metherell August 20 2002 The laptop video Stephen Alderton took to Parliament yesterday showed a white rat freed from paralysis by embryonic stem-cell treatment. It is first seen crawling, dragging its crippled rear legs. Then, between 12 and 24 weeks after embryonic stem cell therapy started, the rat begins walking, its back legs limping, but operating. Mr Alderton and his wife, Alison, displayed the video in Canberra in the hope it might lead to similar treatment for their son Luke, aged 2. Luke was paralysed from the neck down two years ago by a rare spinal disease called transverse myelitis. The Nowra couple yesterday appeared with the Premier, Bob Carr, the Federal Opposition Leader, Simon Crean, and a group of scientists and patients who came to persuade wavering MPs to vote for the embryonic stem-cell provisions. Debate on the controversial legislation, the Research Involving Embryos and Prohibition of Human Cloning Bill, is expected to start tonight. On the other side of the debate yesterday were two scientists who have come from the United States to campaign against embryo research. One is William Hurlbut, a consulting professor at Stanford University and a member of President George Bush's council on bioethics. The other, David Prentice, a professor of life sciences at Indiana State University, said evidence backing embryonic stem-cell research was overshadowed by results from less contentious adult stem-cell work. Professor Prentice says beyond the "profound" ethical problems with embryo research, the evidence in favour of alternatives such as adult cells was "compelling". He argues that while embryonic stem-cell research had the "nasty habit of forming tumours", adult cells had been shown to be effective in treating various "animal models of human disease". These, he said, included diabetes, stroke, Parkinson's disease, spinal cord injury, heart disease and retinal degeneration. Australia's leading embryonic stem cell scientist, Alan Trounson, rejects Professor Prentice's claims, arguing the reports of tumours came from isolated and questionable results. Research results from adult stem cells so far had been mixed or not very encouraging, Professor Trounson said The video came from scientists at Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, who told the Aldertons there may be hope for Luke within five years from the research. "I'm the first to say its not perfect [research]," said Mr Alderton. "It's a rat and it's not walking perfectly. But it's research you have to have." http://smh.com.au/articles/2002/08/19/1029114078190.html