Adult Stem Cells Restore Sight of Man with Advanced Macular Degeneration

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 15, 2016
Contact: Nicole Stacy, [email protected], 202-223-8073

Legally Blind, ASCs Were My Only Hope, Doug Oliver Says in New StemCellResearchFacts.org Video from Charlotte Lozier

Washington, D.C. – Today the Charlotte Lozier Institute announced the release of its latest patient testimonial video at StemCellResearchFacts.org, a project of the Washington, D.C.-based research and policy group. In the video, Doug Oliver describes the frightening effects of losing his eyesight in his early 30s, including being unable to see his wife’s face. Oliver was diagnosed with macular degeneration and pronounced legally blind.  Then the same doctor who initially thought his case was hopeless suggested treatment with adult stem cells. Oliver’s own bone marrow cells were used to repair his damaged eyesight, and he says, “Now I can see the beautiful sparkle in Anne’s blue eyes.”

Charlotte Lozier Institute president Chuck Donovan hailed the new video, saying:

“This touching testimony does more than showcase a scientific marvel – it will give hope to people like Doug who despair of losing the simple, visual connection to loved ones many of us take for granted. Furthermore, because Doug’s successful treatment with adult stem cells was accomplished through entirely ethical means, it will give them peace of mind. For decades, stem cells obtained by destroying unique, living human beings were heralded for their potential ability to cure numerous diseases and conditions, but the morally objectionable techniques did not deliver on those grand promises. This is reflected in research funding trends in recent years. We must invest our valuable resources in treatments with a proven record of success. Anything less is putting ideology before science.”

David Prentice, Vice President and Research Director of the Charlotte Lozier Institute and an international expert on stem cells, commented further:

“Adult stem cells are one of the best-kept secrets in medicine today. Doug Oliver is one of well over one million patients worldwide who have benefitted from their use. There are nearly 3,500 approved clinical studies using adult stem cells, and peer-reviewed, scientific publications have documented their successful use in patients for dozens of conditions. Yet, to some it still sounds like science fiction, and myths about adult stem cell treatments persist. Denying the validated science does a great disservice to patients, who deserve to have the facts when considering their options. Embryonic stem cell research has ended countless lives without producing a single proven treatment. Adult stem cell research is where all the success stories are found. StemCellResearchFacts.org exists to promote sound, ethical research and tell stories like Doug’s so patients know they don’t have to choose between their health and someone’s life.”

StemCellResearchFacts.org, a project of the Charlotte Lozier Institute, was established in 2009 to facilitate and form a worldwide community dedicated to helping individuals, patients and families discover, learn and share the latest advances in adult stem cell research. To that end, the website has published 16 video testimonials – backed by peer-reviewed published science. These testimonials feature patients who have undergone successful therapies for a variety of conditions – including autoimmune diseases, cancer, spinal cord injury, heart disease, and more – using adult stem cells. They also convey the testimony of doctors and researchers on the merits of these treatments.

Charlotte Lozier Institute was launched in 2011 as the education and research arm of Susan B. Anthony List. CLI is a hub for research and public policy analysis on some of the most pressing issues facing the United States and nations around the world. The Institute is named for a feminist physician known for her commitment to the sanctity of human life and equal career and educational opportunities for women.

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