Wednesday, May 17, 2006

Stem Cell Snippets: Eggs, Cloning, David Baltimore

Here are links to some recent, interesting news stories or other items related to California stem cell issues.

Hwang and Prop. 71 – Patent attorney Lawrence Ebert in Ezine.com -- "Eggs will be needed to carry out embryonic stem cell research, and the potential for abuse, and disregard of that abuse, in obtaining eggs is a major, foreseeable, problem. Because the abuse in Korea occurred in the face of strong laws, the assertion that CIRM has adopted strong standards as to egg donation is not the final answer to this issue. Pressure on researchers to obtain significant results can lead to fraud. The Hwang matter involved independent frauds by at least two researchers, and does not fit neatly into the 'one bad apple' box."

Orange County stem cell lines – Writer Gary Robbins in the Orange County Register -- UC Irvine and West Coast Fertility Clinics are teaming up in a $100,000 annual effort "to create at least five new lines of human embryonic stem cells, becoming one of the few groups in the country to try to produce fresh lines for the study of everything from spinal cord injuries to Parkinson's disease."

David Baltimore and stem cell climate – Writer David Epstein in Insidehighered.com – A look at the Washington, D.C., environment for federal stem cell research. CIRM Oversight Committee member Baltimore quoted on the need for a change.

Human embryo cloning – Emily Singer in Technology Review – Overview of human embryo cloning including look at California. "Scientists who had planned to collaborate with Hwang had spent months thinking seriously about what they could do with cloned stem cells, from creating new tools to shed light on the diseases they had studied for decades to investigating new treatments. The excitement those possibilities aroused, along with new influxes of cash from state and private sources, made many unwilling to wait on the sidelines any longer. (Evan) Snyder, a (California) pediatric neurologist and neonatologist who wants to develop new treatments for his patients, is now considering starting his own cloning program."

2 comments:

  1. Note that the journal Science has been conducting a review of how it handled acceptance of the Hwang papers on embryonic stem cells.

    See
    http://ezinearticles.com/?Do-You-Ever-Wonder-How-Hwang-Woo-Suk-Tricked-The-World-About-Embryonic-Stem-Cells?&id=202951

    Separately, note the ISCF had stated that conditions for egg donation for IVF should be distinguished from conditions for egg donation for embryonic stem cell research. This is counter to the thinking of some American researchers.

    See
    http://ipbiz.blogspot.com/2006/05/journal-science-mentions.html

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  2. Anonymous11:18 PM

    Claire McCaskill is what we need in a country filled with political bickering, partisan warfare, and a lack of understanding what America really wants. We need compassion, understanding, and a ruthless devotion to finding real solutions to some of our countries real problems. Lets not keep Rumsfeld, Bush, Talent, and the rest of Texas, I mean the White House, in charge of where our country is headed. We need a country that represents freedom and equality, not monopoly and tyranny. Claire McCaskill should have all of our votes and help lead us, and our country, in a new, positive, direction. Or, I suppose, we could just go buy another Hummer, scream bloody murder when it comes to paying $3 at the pump and go start a World War with Iran, North Korea, China, and Russia. I still prefer freedom, equality, education, healthcare and everything else that only the democratic people non beholden to stockholders seem to care about. "and to think some peolple would forget about equality, freedom, education, healthcare, and everything else in favor of the Republican base mantra opposing scientific (stem cell) research." Don't forget there is MORE TO LIFE than one issue. Don't be fooled by capitalist Republicans into thinking one well advertised controversial issue is the only issue.

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