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National Children's Leukemia Foundation Endorses Missouri Stem Cell Research and Cures Initiative

Posted on: Monday, 19 June 2006, 12:00 CDT

NEW YORK, June 19 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Children's Leukemia Foundation, an organization dedicated to providing the cure for leukemia and other life-threatening diseases and providing help and assistance to families facing the challenge of cancer, today announced its endorsement of the Missouri Stem Cell Research and Cures Initiative. The Initiative, a referendum measure slated for the November state ballot, ensures that Missouri patients will have access to any federally approved stem cell cures that are available to other Americans.

"Based on the National Children's Leukemia Foundation's research involvement worldwide, I believe there is no doubt that stem cell therapy will provide the cure," said Steve Shor, Founder and President of the National Children's Leukemia Foundation. "Only time will reveal the tremendous capacity and far-reaching abilities of this technology. However, we can say now that we are very close to a revolution that will enable the medical community to save the lives of hundreds of thousands of people facing life-threatening illness."

The Initiative protects the rights of Missouri patients to have their diseases and injuries treated with cures derived from stem cell research allowed by federal law and available in other states. It also ensures that Missouri medical institutions and research facilities can provide and help find new stem cell cures. And, it establishes clear ethical and oversight guidelines for stem cell research conducted in Missouri -- including a strict ban on any attempt to clone a human being.

Medical researchers believe that stem cell research could lead to cures for leukemia, diabetes, Parkinson's, cancer, heart disease, ALS, sickle cell disease, spinal cord injury and many other diseases and injuries that afflict hundreds of thousands of Missourians and millions of other Americans.

The Initiative is sponsored by the Missouri Coalition for Lifesaving Cures, a grassroots coalition of more than 50,000 citizens and over 60 leading medical and patient organizations, including the American Association for Cancer Research, American Diabetes Association, Christopher Reeve Foundation, Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation International, Lance Armstrong Foundation, The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, National Council on Spinal Cord Injury, National Parkinson Foundation, National Prostate Cancer Coalition, Stowers Institute for Medical Research and Washington University in St. Louis.

The mission of the National Children's Leukemia Foundation is to provide the cure for life-threatening diseases throughout the world and to insure that all persons, regardless of race, religion, ethnicity, gender, socioeconomic status or country of residence, have access to life-saving medical care. For more information please visit http://www.leukemiafoundation.org/ .

More information about stem cell research, the Missouri Stem Cell Research and Cures Initiative and the Missouri Coalition for Lifesaving Cures is available on the Coalition's website at http://www.missouricures.com/ .

CONTACT: Steve Shor Phone: 718-251-1222

National Children's Leukemia Foundation

CONTACT: Steve Shor of National Children's Leukemia Foundation,+1-718-251-1222

Web site: http://www.leukemiafoundation.org/http://www.missouricures.com/

Source: PRNewswire

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