mr. speaker , i rise today in strong support of h.r. 810 , the stem cell research enhancement act of 2005 . 
stem cells have tremendous promise to treat a myriad of devastating diseases and disorders . 
embryonic stem cells can become any cell type in the body , and their promise lies in the ability to tailor-make cellular treatments , heart muscle for heart disease , pancreas cells for diabetes , or nervous system cells for spinal cord injury . 
stem cells are relatively new on the research scene ; it was only in 1998 that the techniques were developed to isolate stem cells from humans , and we have a lot to learn about how to make the cells develop in the ways that will be essential for therapeutic application . 
today , i would like to highlight how the reeve-irvine research center has made significant head way in making the promise of embryonic stem cells a reality . 
work recently published by dr . 
hans keirstead and his group has shown that they are able to turn human embryonic stem cells into a clinically useful cell type . 
to use embryonic stem cells for therapy , it is critical to devise ways to cause them to turn into particular cell types . 
if un-differentiated stem cells are transplanted into the brain or spinal cord , they may become a teratoma , a tumor made of many different cells like bone , muscle , and hair . 
so , to be useful for therapy , embryonic stem cells must be `` restricted '' to differentiate into the desired cell types . 
that is , they must be told what specific cell type to turn into as they mature . 
dr . 
keirstead 's group has developed a unique method to create these differentiated cells . 
moreover , as report in journal of neuroscience , his group has been successful in transplanting these cells into an acute spinal cord injury . 
once transplanted , these cells have been able to survive in a living organism , move to areas where they are needed , and do what they are supposed to . 
the result is a significant improvement in walking ability , at least at an early time point post injury . 
this finding is proof of principle that human embryonic stem cells can be a viable therapeutic agent . 
dr . 
keirstead 's cells are on the federally approved list . 
they are among the very few lines that are actually usable , and he is among the very few who have had access to human embryonic stem cells . 
dr . 
keirstead 's progress since 2001 when he received the cells has been remarkable . 
his group has learned how to maintain the embryonic stem cells , no small feat in itself . 
they have learned how to transform the cells into differentiated cells , they have learned how to use the cells to treat new spinal cord injury in animals . 
all this in less than 4 years , and in one lab . 
imagine the progress that could have been made with , 100 labs working with embryonic stem cells on not only spinal cord injury but alzheimer 's , parkinson 's , diabetes , and so many others . 
the reeve-irvine research center is one of a handful of places in the u.s. that has the know-how to use embryonic stem cells . 
with more lines available , we could readily address issues related to paralysis by developing new cell populations , like motor neurons , or by testing the therapeutic quality of other lines . 
in addition , more researchers would be able to devote their talents to this area of research . 
my father is suffering from alzheimer 's . 
i know that my family would do anything to find a cure for this horribly degenerative disease . 
i would ask my colleagues , would your family do any differently ? 
would the families of your constituents do any differently ? 
the stem cell research enhancement act of 2005 before congress today , if passed , would open the door to our country 's brightest scientists to find the treatments that dr . 
keirstead 's work suggests are really there waiting to be discovered . 
i urge my colleagues to support this research and to vote for h.r. 810 . 
