Christopher Reeve was a strong advocate for embryonic stem cell research. A good actor, a superb director and a
strong activist are just few words used to describe Christopher Reeve. Reeve established a strong reputation as one
of the country’s leading actors, right from his first appearance at the Williamstown Theatre Festival at the age of
just 15. However, ever since he was paralyzed in an equestrian competition in 1995, Reeve not only put a human face
on spinal cord injury but he motivated (verbally and financially) neuroscientists around the world to conquer the most
complex diseases of the brain and central nervous system. Undoubtedly, people will remember this legend for his initiatives
and ultimately success to a certain extent.
Stem cells are the body's "master" cells because they give rise to all other tissues, organs, and systems in the body, specifically
tissue that might be used to repair -- in Reeve's case, for example -- damaged spinal cord cells. Some scientists believe that stem
cells from fertilized human eggs, known as embryos, hold the most promise for success. But most people against this process treat
it the same as abortion.
Reeve once said, "If you had the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) involved and everybody working together, I am positive in 10
years I'd be on my feet...I would not be sitting here in a wheelchair". Reeve also joined the debate in the United States over
whether the federal government should fund research on stem cells from human embryos created by in-vitro fertilization. Many
abortion opponents including politicians, social activists and even Pope John Paul II opposed using human embryos for research.
But this man, Reeve stood firm on his stand and he was the man behind the Christopher Reeve Foundation (CRF). In 1999 CRF was
merged with the American Paralysis Association (APA) to form the Christopher Reeve Paralysis Foundation. It was done to leverage
the strengths of both institutions. CRF relied on celebrities and loyal fans. APA housed the research.
The history of APA is a detailed study of how people can work together to move mountains. It was begun by spinal cord
injured patients and their families in the early 1980s and soon included a small New Jersey family foundation organized in
1982 when 17-year-old Henry Stifel, III, was spinal cord injured in a car accident. Working in their basement, the Stifels and
their friends joined APA and began a long and arduous voyage into the then uncharted waters of research to repair the damaged spinal cord.
The accepted wisdom at the time, which was passed on to medical students everywhere, was that spinal cord injury was
irreversible. But APA began funding research that challenged that belief and slowly gathered the support of an ever-widening
community of patients, families, donors, and scientists.
Senior investigators like Carl Cotman, Ph.D. (University of Calfornia Irvine), Fred Gage, Ph.D. (Salk Institute),
and Dennis Choi, M.D., Ph.D. (then at Washington University in St. Louis) gave legitimacy to APA’s mission by applying
their expertise in the brain to the spinal cord. With the 1995 formation of the Research Consortium on Spinal Cord Injury,
a novel and truly collaborative approach to spinal cord research and repair was underway.
Moreover, there is Christopher Reeve Paralysis Act (CRPA), which if enacted, would authorize additional funding for
paralysis research at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) through the National Institutes of Neurological
Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), as well as expand rehabilitation research activities through the National Center
for Medical Rehabilitation Research (NCMRR). In addition, the legislation would authorize the CDC to carry out
projects and interventions to improve the quality of life and the long-term health of persons living with paralysis
and other physical disabilities, and would expand research programs on paralysis within the Department of Veterans Affairs.
The CRPA would facilitate development by the US government of a nationwide research, rehabilitation, and quality of
life network based upon a model proven successful by 20 years of experience by this Foundation. The Act would ensure
that more people get the help they need.
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