Friday, October 07, 2005

“Everything” Targeted in Stem Cell Research

Reporter Edie Lau of The Sacramento Bee had another take on last weekend’s stem cell conference that we missed in our search.

She wrote, “What should California spend its stem cell money on to produce good medicine? Scientists called together over the weekend to give their ideas had, in sum, a short answer: On everything.”

She noted that stem cell research is still in the early stages and that much needs to be done.

She also had this: “Dr. Irving Weissman, director of the Institute for Cancer and Stem Cell Biology and Medicine at Stanford University, said one method for testing cells is by putting them into mice and seeing how the cells behave.

“Weissman acknowledged that the step is, to some minds, objectionable. That's because in creating animals possessing human cells, scientists would be creating human chimeras, calling to mind monsters of Greek mythology. Nevertheless, Weissman said the work is essential, and raised concerns over a bill in Congress that would ban such research.”

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