European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - January 06, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse Thursday. January 1994 . The stars and stripes Page 9 end 3fil . Renewing tissue funding Washington a for the first time in five years the Federal government has agreed to pay for clinical research using fetal tissue from elective abortions. The National Institute of neurological disorders and stroke announced tues Day that it is giving $4.5 million to three institutions to study the effects of implanting fetal tissue into the brains of patients with Parkinson s disease. Or. Patricia Grady head of the Federal Institute said the treatment of Parkin son s with the fetal tissue is promising based on privately funded research. We Are Optimist it will be helpful for at least some of the patients she said. Tissue used in the transplants comes from fetuses aborted after seven to eight weeks of gestation when the fetus is about an Inch Long. Doctors then remove a brain Structure about the size of a Grain of Rice and extract about one half million cells to be injected into brains of the patients. Parkinson s is a progressive brain Dis order that causes tremors a shuffling walk a decreased ability to control speech and facial Muscles and a gradual loss of functional control. Its precise cause is unknown but it is connected to the death of brain cells that produce dopamine a chemical key to communication within the brain. About 500,000 americans most of them older than.40, have Parkinson s. There is no cure but treatment with be Vodopya or a Dopa a chemical that partially mimics dopamine relieves symptoms for a time in some patients. The new Grant will be shared by co Lumbia presbyterian medical Center in new York North Shore University hos Pital on Long Island and the University of Colorado health sciences Center in Denver. In 1988, president Reagan banned fed eral funding of research using fetal tissue from elective abortions on grounds that such research would encourage abortions and Lead to the marketing of fetal Materi Al. President Bush extended the ban. Clinton lifted it in one of his first offi Cial acts. Under the new Grant 40 Parkinson s patients will be evaluated at the Colum Bia presbyterian medical Center in new York and the North Shore University Hospital on Long Island precise measurements will be made on their move ments and on the function of brain cells that produce dopamine. The patients then will get fetal tissue Heidi Fleiss. Finally naming names Shannen Doherty. Allegedly would pay Only $200 epic productions inc. Charlie Sheen. Said to prefer cheerleader types Charlie Sheen Doherty named Dod Madam by alleged hoi new York a the alleged Hollywood Madam who threatened to Nail her clients months ago finally has named names telling vanity fair that actor Charlie Sheen and a former head of Sony pictures Jon Peters were among the bigwigs who hired her $1,500 hookers. And that s not All Heidi Fleiss had to say. Shannen Doherty of Beverly Hills wanted to hire prostitutes for her Fiance s Bachelor party Fleiss said. But she Only wanted to pay $200 apiece Fleiss said so she Hung up on the actress. Fleiss rates Start at $1,500 a night vanity fair reported in its february Issue. Doherty s publicist said tuesday that the actress did ask about hiring women but not As prostitutes. Fleiss said her clients included . Politicians and Rich Middle Eastern businessmen but she did not identify them. Fleiss has pleaded innocent to five counts of pandering and one count of possessing cocaine for Sale. Her attorney says it is not fair to prosecute her because men who buy prostitutes serv ices Are rarely charged. Fleiss said Sheen was a gentleman who liked to hire Call girls for his pals. He d pay for All his friends she said. They want to be studs. They Don t want to say they pay for Sheen liked to hire a blonde dressed in a cheerleader outfit who would pre tend she had a big game the next Day Fleiss said. A woman who answered the phone at special artists Sheen s publicist said the actor would not comment. Peters was the Guy everyone went to when they wanted a girl Fleiss said. He got girls for Doherty said she wanted girls who were pretty but not too pretty for her Fiance s party Fleiss said. She was giving me All these orders and then she said i Only want to pay $200 apiece i said Why Don t you do it yourself and i Hung up on her she said. Doherty publicist Stan Rosenfield called that account distorted saying the actress spoke Only with one of Fleiss associates. It was t for prostitution Rosenfield told the associated press. She wanted the girls to jump out of a cake or something. Doherty married Ashley Hamilton son of actor George Hamilton last year. Student with nose ring to be separated Wellington Texas a a High school Junior sent Home for wearing a nose ring says he will attend a separate class to keep him from distracting other pupils rather than give up his jewelry. I Don t see How they have the right to Tell me if i can Wear it said Jonathon Skelton. It s not affecting my Skelton who had his nose pierced Over the holidays was sent Home from Wellington High school on monday because the ornament is a distraction principal Carl Taylor said. Skelton said the student handbook Only prohibits boys from wearing ear rings. Taylor said that s a technicality Skelton has an earring in his Skelton will remain apart from his schoolmates unless he removes the ring Taylor said tuesday. Skelton s Mother Becky o rear agreed to the arrangement Only so her son won t be forced to choose Between a nose ring and his transplants at the University of Colorado health sciences Center in Denver a Pioneer in the transplants Colorado scientists reported last no vember that of 16 Parkinson s patients Given fetal tissue transplants at that institution about a third improved significantly a third showed some improvement and a third had no apparent Benefit. Some of them were dramatically bet Ter said or. Curt freed head of the Colorado project. Some recovered their ability to speak and to drive cars and others who were Home bound invalids were Able to travel freed said. In the new study freed said Only half of the patients will actually receive fetal tissue implants. The others will receive placebos fake injections. Neither the patients nor the doctors will know who gets the fetal tissue. Clinton edict on abortions upsets some state officials Washington a state Midi Caid directors complained tuesday that the Clinton administration blindsided them with its edict to Start paying immediately for abortions for poor women in cases of rape and incest. But the Federal program chief said the administration was just carrying out the changes that Congress enacted last a gust in the so called Hyde amendment. That amendment which since 1977 had allowed use of Federal medicaid funds Only to save the life of the Mother was changed to pay for abortions in rape or incest cases As Well. Ray Hanley the Arkansas medicaid director and chairman of the state medi Caid directors association said the Dis Pute is not about abortion per this is about keeping the commit ment the administration made about a state Federal partnership and meaning Ful consultation he said. Hanley said some states have their own Laws restricting abortion funding. Last week s edict from the health care financing administration was retroactive to oct. 1, 1993, and ordered states to bring their own rules into compliance by March 31,1994. Hanley said the requirement puts some states in the position of violating the Federal mandate and losing All their fed eral funds or violating their state but Sally Richardson director of Hyfa s medicaid Bureau said this is not an unusual occurrence. When con Gress change s a Law and states have to do something to come in to she said she could not envision cutting off a state s funds. And while some states May be troubled by the new requirement others will Bene fit because Washington will now help pay for abortions the states had been funding on their own she said. A dozen states use their own funds to pay for All medically necessary abortions said William Hamilton vice president of the planned parenthood federation of America. Federal funds were used to pay for Only 165 abortions to save mothers lives in 1992. Richardson said that maybe 1,000 additional women would qualify for free abortions under the new Hyde amendment. She said Hanley spoke for some medi Caid directors but certainly not All of
