The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com

Wednesday, September 23, 2009 - 7A

The Michigan Daily - michigandailycom Wednesday, September 23, 2009 - 7A

STEM CELLS
From Page 1A
"We very much want to find
a way to stop the progression of
ALS," Feldman said, "rather than
just slow it down."
The Investigational New
Drug application was submitted
to the FDA by Neuralstem Inc.,
a Maryland-based biotherapeu-
tics company that is sponsoring
the trial and providing all of the
neural stem cells used in the
treatments.
"They were doing a project
where they were using this stem
cell to treat spinal cord injuries,"
Feldman said. "The really sig-
nificant results clearly became
obvious to me that we should
strongly consider doing similar
work."
The first phase of the clini-
cal trials will assess the safety
of the treatment. Feldman and
her team will conduct the trials
at Emory University in Atlanta,
Ga., pending the approval of
Emory's Internal Review Board.
j Twelve ALS patients at vari-
ous stages of the disease will par-
tciipate in this phase of the initial
trial, which will allow for five to 1O
stem cell injections. Patients will
be examined at regular intervals,
aid a final report will be released
after approximately 24 months.
The FDA's approval of this trial
ftllows the downfall of some key
obstacles to stem cell research in
thte past year.
'Proposal 2 was met with con-
troversy by the citizens of Michi-
gan, passing narrowly with 51
percent of the vote. The passing
of the referendum allowed for an
amendment to the state's Consti-
tution drawing back restrictions
on stem cell research.
Last March, President Obama
reversed an executive order by
President Bush that restricted
the federal funding of stem cell
research.
Asthefirstclinicaltrialofastem
cell-derived treatment, Dr. Feld-
man's work could hold far-reach-
ing effects for the research and
treatments of other neurodegen-
erative disorders, like Alzheimer's
disease and multiple sclerosis.
- 'The potential role of this trial
to increase our understanding of
other neurodegenerative diseases
is actually quite high," Feldman
said. "However, we won't really
know until we see how stem cells
affect the brain."

CRIME
From Page lA
pital last night, Blackwell said.
After the third person was
stabbed, the fight evidently con-
tinued, Blackwell said. It is at that
point when the suspect with the
knife is believed to have "received
injuries to his face area, possibly a
broken nose," Blackwell said.
The clash ultimately was bro-
ken up, Blackwell said, "by the
bouncers and the police officers
who were right around the cor-
ner." The whole altercation is not
believed to have lasted very long at
all, Blackwell said.

The manager working at Good
Time Charley's at the time the
fight broke out would not com-
ment on the incident.
None of the people involved in
the fight are University students,
Blackwell said. He also said that he
did not know as of 3:45 a.m. yester-
day morning if any of the people
involved were AnnArbor residents.
The suspect with the knife was
taken into police custody, accord-
ing to Blackwell, and was set to be
arraigned yesterday. When con-
tacted today about the arraign-
ment charges, Blackwell said he
had no new information, but said
the AAPD recommended feloni-
ous assault.

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CHRIS DZOMBAK/Daily
Visiting Prof. Dede Oetomo, one of the principal founders of Indonesia'sgay rights movement, spoke on "The LGBTIQ Movement in
Indonesia," yesterday. Oetomo's lecture explored social organizing in Indonesia based on gender identity and sexual orientation.



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