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Targets Major Stem Cell Research Advances Through ‘Field of Hope’ Fundraiser By Mike Thompson If you contribute to the Field Neurosciences Institute, through the “Field of Hope” event on Sept. 25 at downtown Saginaw's Temple Theatre, the payoff is more than just a great Broadway show. The life of a loved one, or maybe your own, may be prolonged by the programs and research conducted through FNI. Here's one of the latest examples: Ten years down the road, research on adult stem cells now in progress at Field Neurosciences could produce stem cell lines to provide therapy for patients with Alzheimer's and Huntington's diseases, degenerative disks, post-stroke challenges, and possibly even brain tumors. In layman's terms, this would be accomplished by injecting the regenerative stem cells into the brain, explains Gary Dunbar, who is wrapping up his first year as FNI director. But for the billions of dollars spent on health care, researchers don't have unlimited money for all of the tools they desire. Field Neurosciences researchers need a device known as a flow cytometer, which Dunbar says would help to sort stem cell lines 1,000 times faster, “accelerating progress by months or even years.” The flow cytometer costs $80,000, which is the Field of Hope fund-raising goal in September. The Best of Broadway will present “You Raise Me Up! From Bocelli to Brightman,” described as a “POPera” that offers “an exciting new concert experience. Stars are Raymond Saar, Diane Ketchie, Laurie Gayle Stephenson and Steve Amerson. Limited show-only tickets are $50 and $30, but many supporters also will make the evening complete with a pre-show buffet dinner. Donations for group packages rise into thousands of dollars. The number for the Temple Theater box office is (877) 754-7469, and the web site is www.templetheatre.com. For Field Neurosciences, call (989) 497-3117 or visit www.fni.org. Stem Cells Are Building Blocks Field Neurosciences Institute started in 1988 with a gift from the family of Dr. E. Malcolm Field, who still is healthy and hearty at age 78, heading for his 50th anniversary of Saginaw practice in calendar 2011. Stem cell research at FNI took root in 2001. Stem cells, to remain in the layman's mode, can be compared to building blocks. Medical specialists are learning how to convert stem cells into different kinds of cells in the human body. The term “stem cell” is more than 100 years old, but first truly emerged into the public consciousness in 1968, when University of Minnesota physicians performed the world first successful bone marrow transplant. In effect, in successful medical procedures, the good cells conquer the bad ones. Dr. Leo Furcht of the University of Minnesota, in his book “The Stem Cell Dilemma,” writes, “The leading edge of this new biology, this biorennaisance, and the object of its exploration, is the most important element in all of life: the cell. But not just any cell. More and more, modern science and medicine is and will be the province of the stem cell. Day by day, researchers are unveiling of the mystery of the stem cell and its power for regenerative tissue that is healthy and repairing tissue that is diseased or damaged. Stem cells are proving to be the silver bullet, the Holy Grail of medicine. They could alleviate all manner of suffering, whether caused by disease, injury or genetic fate.” Ferocious national debate endures regarding use of embryonic stem cells. Foes consider use of embryonic stem cells as a form of abortion, or thus murder. Supporters, most famously Nancy Reagan and the late actor Christopher Reeve, point to life-extending potentials for which embryonic stem cells are far more powerful than adult stem cells. Michigan voters last November passed the Proposition 2-ballot proposal, which will allow researchers to make use of embryos donated by couples involved in fertility treatments. Dunbar emphasizes that Field Neurosciences is making use only of adult stem cells, telling tour groups that this means no “ethical quagmire” exists. “The FNI lab is striving to produce induced pluripotent stem cells by genetically engineering adult stem cells, from such sources as adult skin or bone marrow, to take on qualities that are similar to embryonic stem cells,” Dunbar says. “If successful, this could make the issue debated in Proposition 2 a moot point.” This does not mean that Dunbar or other FNI staff is taking a position on the overall issue of embryonic stem cells. In other areas of medical research, adult stem cells may not show potential to take on qualities that are similar to embryonic stem cells. Dunbar's point is simply that the specific type of research being conducted at Field Neurosciences does not require embryonic stem cells. As for last fall's Proposition 2 debate,
Dunbar simply perceives that both sides provided “misinformation” in
their advertising and literature, and “overplayed” their points.
Increased public education is needed, he says. Med Students Donate Their Summers The public may not view medical research as involving grassroots activism, but the Field Neurosciences Institute has more than 100 volunteers for fund-raisers such as September's Field of Hope event and for other support activities. Furthermore, a dozen college students from mid-Michigan are volunteering full-time this summer in FNI's surprising compact research facility in the Medical Arts Three Building near Fashion Square Mall. (The Institute's research library is based in the main St. Mary's of Michigan hospital.) One of the student volunteers is Roopa Pandit, a 2007 graduate of Saginaw Township's Heritage High School who is in the pre-med curriculum at Kalamazoo College. She's the daughter of Dr. Sunil Pandit, an anesthesiologist, and his wife Jayanti. Roopa says medical volunteer work is not a college curriculum requirement, but she's still willing to contribute her time. “It's a great learning experience,” she says. “You can't get information just out of a classroom.” She hopes for an opportunity to volunteer overseas next summer, while she continues to evaluate which type of medical career that she will pursue. At Field Neurosciences, says her task is to “view and analyze” various stem cell lines, and to mark them with identifying fluorescent stains. Many mid-Michigan college students aim for professional careers in other parts of the United States, to get away from what they perceive as a declining community. This is not so true for local young adults who pursue medical studies, however, because of Saginaw's reputation as a community that is transitioning from an auto town to a regional medical center. “A lot of the research that we're doing
here is very beneficial,” Roopa Pandit says, “and just to have this
right here in Saginaw is really great. I was 3 months old when my family
moved to Saginaw, and this is home to me.” Dr. Gary Dunbar (left) Roopa Pandit (right)
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