President Obama to lift ban on funding for embryonic stem cell research
March 6, 2009
Great news today! From The Washingston Post:
President Obama is planning to sign an executive order on Monday rolling back restrictions on federal funding of human embryonic stem cell research, according to sources close to the issue.
Although the exact wording of the order has not been revealed, the White House plans an 11 a.m. ceremony to sign the order repealing one of the most controversial steps taken by his predecessor, fulfilling one of Obama’s eagerly anticipated campaign promises
For the rest of this article, please see here.
The truth hurts
February 12, 2009
The truth often hurts….but everyone seems to prefer a painful truth over a happier, yet more deceptive statement or position. In current politics it seems that at least some of Obama’s popularity is due to the perception that he is presenting a more level, or truthful assessment of the current economic and political issues that are occurring world-wide. Indeed it seems to be part of the political strategy right now to separate the Obama team from past administrations by being completely candid and frank.
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Science Funding in Hard Economic Times
January 29, 2009
Many aspects of scientific research are inaccessible to the general public; nothing more so than how basic science is funded. For this reason, government funding to basic scientific granting agencies is often an unattractive target for spending in hard economic times.
Obama: “We will restore science to its rightful place”
January 29, 2009
Obama’s early indications and actions and indeed his inaugural speech, from which the title of this blog was taken, has scientists and environmentalists in a positive frame of mind.
Another stem cell first: Clinical trial using human embryonic stem cells is approved
January 27, 2009
A biotechnology company from the United States has recently announced that they have received approval to initiate the world’s first clinical trial involving human embryonic stem cells (hES). Geron announced on January 23rd that their application for the company’s Investigational New Drug (IND) application for the clinical trial of GRNOPC1 in patients with acute spinal cord injury had been accepted.
The International Society for Stem Cell Research warned against fraudulent clinics and treatments
December 4, 2008
The International Society on Stem Cell Research has released Guidlines for the Clinical Translations of Stem Cellsl that examine the scientific, clinical, regulatory, ethical and societal issues that must be addressed to ensure that basic stem cell research is responsibly transitioned into appropriate clinical applications.
Read more about these guildlines here and here. Also, have a look at Ian Clarke’s blog post from Monday about this very issue.
Presidential candidates talk about science and stem cells
September 16, 2008
Science Debate 2008 was created to raise issues about science and technology policy in the US during the current election and to raise awareness of the reality that innovation in research is vita. Recently the group asked presidential candidates John McCain and Barack Obama 14 questions about science policy. The short list was narrowed down from an original list of 3,400 questions. It was done with the assistance of leading science organizations. .
Both candiates were asked directly about stem cell research with the following question:
8. Stem cells. Stem cell research advocates say it may successfully lead to treatments for many chronic diseases and injuries, saving lives, but opponents argue that using embryos as a source for stem cells destroys human life. What is your position on government regulation and funding of stem cell research?
Barack Obama responded with the following answer:
Stem cell research holds the promise of improving our lives in at least three ways—by substituting normal cells for damaged cells to treat diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, spinal cord injury, heart failure and other disorders; by providing scientists with safe and convenient models of disease for drug development; and by helping to understand fundamental aspects of normal development and cell dysfunction.
For these reasons, I strongly support expanding research on stem cells. I believe that the restrictions that President Bush has placed on funding of human embryonic stem cell research have handcuffed our scientists and hindered our ability to compete with other nations. As president, I will lift the current administration’s ban on federal funding of research on embryonic stem cell lines created after August 9, 2001 through executive order, and I will ensure that all research on stem cells is conducted ethically and with rigorous oversight.
I recognize that some people object to government support of research that requires cells to be harvested from human embryos. However, hundreds of thousands of embryos stored in the U.S. in in-vitro fertilization clinics will not be used for reproductive purposes, and will eventually be destroyed. I believe that it is ethical to use these extra embryos for research that could save lives when they are freely donated for that express purpose.
I am also aware that there have been suggestions that human stem cells of various types, derived from sources other than embryos, make the use of embryonic stem cells unnecessary. I don’t agree. While adult stem cells, such as those harvested from blood or bone marrow, are already used for treatment of some diseases, they do not have the versatility of embryonic stem cells and cannot replace them. Recent discoveries indicate that adult skin cells can be reprogrammed to behave like stem cells; these are exciting findings that might in the future lead to an alternate source of highly versatile stem cells. However, embryonic stem cells remain the “gold standard,” and studies of all types of stem cells should continue in parallel for the foreseeable future.
Rather than restrict the funding of such research, I favor responsible oversight of it, in accord with recent reports from the National Research Council. Recommendations from the NRC reports are already being followed by institutions that conduct human embryonic stem cell research with funds from a variety of sources. An expanded, federally-supported stem cell research program will encourage talented U.S. scientists to engage in this important new field, will allow more effective oversight, and will signal to other countries our commitment to compete in this exciting area of medical research.
While I support federal funding for embryonic stem cell research, I believe clear lines should be drawn that reflect a refusal to sacrifice moral values and ethical principles for the sake of scientific progress. Moreover, I believe that recent scientific breakthroughs raise the hope that one day this debate will be rendered academic. I also support funding for other research programs, including amniotic fluid and adult stem cell research which hold much scientific promise and do not involve the use of embryos. I oppose the intentional creation of human embryos for research purposes and I voted to ban the practice of “fetal farming,” making it a federal crime for researchers to use cells or fetal tissue from an embryo created for research purposes.
John McCain answered with this:
While I support federal funding for embryonic stem cell research, I believe clear lines should be drawn that reflect a refusal to sacrifice moral values and ethical principles for the sake of scientific progress. Moreover, I believe that recent scientific breakthroughs raise the hope that one day this debate will be rendered academic. I also support funding for other research programs, including amniotic fluid and adult stem cell research which hold much scientific promise and do not involve the use of embryos. I oppose the intentional creation of human embryos for research purposes and I voted to ban the practice of “fetal farming,” making it a federal crime for researchers to use cells or fetal tissue from an embryo created for research purposes.
To read the candidate’s full answers on science policy, visit: http://www.sciencedebate2008.com/www/index.php?id=42
While the candidates’ willingness to lessen the rectrictions on embryonic stem cell research is encouraging, putting hope in researchers finding an alternative way to harness the potential of stem cells without using embryonic stem cells means that the development and implementation of stem cell therapeutics could take even longer.
Rett Syndrome and induced Pluripotent Stem cells goes “Green”
June 17, 2009 by Aaron Cheung
Stem cell researchers at The Hospital for Sick Children have now devised a method, reported in the scientific journal Nature Methods, that will facilitate the generation of induced Pluripotent Stem (iPS) cells. I have previously blogged about the promise of iPS cells (see related articles). iPS cells are cells which have been reprogrammed from a differentiated somatic cell (such as your skin cells) to a pluripotent stem cell (like an embryonic stem cell, only that you don’t need to use embryos!). The generation of iPS cells is inherently very rare which occurs at a frequency of about 0.01% meaning you can generate about one iPS cell line out of hundred thousand cells. Out of which, many lines fail to satisfy the different rigorous tests necessary to be given the prestigious name of “iPS cell”.
Continue reading Rett Syndrome and induced Pluripotent Stem cells goes “Green”
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Stem Cells and the Nervous System
