Dr Stormy Chamberlin's Research Shows Potential for Angelman Syndrome

Dr. Stormy Chamberlain has with the Angelman Syndrome Foundation's funding,  found a way to create stem cells from people with Angelman Syndrome. That's right, blood and saliva being used, so there is no use of embryo's or other controversial methods. This guarantees that cancer fighting drugs, that are believed to be useful for a cure or at the very least gains in research, can be tested before being used to have safety at the highest of standards. This breath taking work would not have been even conceivable just a few years ago, and marks progress that continue to grow at an exponential rate. If only Dr. Harry Angelman was alive to see this!

She is conducting research at the University of Connecticut. Her work is in conjunction with other pioneers, such as Dr. Benjamin Philpot. A link to what she is working on can be found here. http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2010/09/22/1004487107 It is extraordinary that the research continues to move on at such a quick pace, and that the Angelman Syndrome Foundation has been able to fund such efforts. This comes from the annual walks that take place across the United States every year in May, along with donations that come in through kind folks, businesses, and even from the international community. As shown by her work, Prader Willi Syndrome might also see some results here too. That is promising, as both that and Angelman Syndrome are related to chromosome 15 deletions.

As a man who misses his son, I am encouraged that families with an angel, have a better chance than ever. Is anything definitive? Not yet, but the signs are certainly bearing fruit, as recently cancer fighting drugs have shown potential in laboratories. For more information, go to www.angelman.org, and see what the ASF is doing with this. They are working as much as possible, to fund research and have done well over the years in this regard. Their maturity, and the fact that you can check their transparent records on Charity Navigator, guarantees you that your hard earned money is going to a charity that believes in a maximum bang for the buck. There are other efforts underway, as there are other groups working on a cure, and all should be commended. Yet this one is showing a lot of headway, and should be appreciated as a serious step in the right direction.