June 8, 2007
Embryonic stem-cell research first became possible with human cells in 1998, and became a political issue immediately thereafter. To derive the cells, researchers had to destroy human embryos, which drew strong opposition from people (like me) who believe that nascent … Read More
June 7, 2007
Living, breathing people who have been treated by stem cells — some who would have otherwise died — are signs of the great hope of stem-cell research. Take Doug Rice, a bear of a man who was told he had … Read More
June 7, 2007
I just received a report that A.B. 374, which would legalize assisted suicide in California, does not have the votes to pass in the Assembly and hence, will not be brought up for a vote. This is a great, hard … Read More
June 7, 2007
On 6 June 2007, the House of Representatives voted on HR 2560, a “bill to ban reproductive cloning.†Of those voting, 190 of the 221 Democrats, and 14 of 196 Republicans voted for it, resulting in a rejection of the … Read More
June 7, 2007
Researchers at Tel Aviv University in Israel have demonstrated that neurons cultured outside the brain can be imprinted with multiple rudimentary memories that persist for days without interfering with or wiping out others. (Scientific American)
June 7, 2007
Creating tissues from stem cells is a finicky process. Researchers are still figuring out how best to coax them into becoming a particular cell type so that they can create tissues for patients with failing organs. Now they have a … Read More
June 7, 2007
Those wishing to orient themselves in today’s vast landscape of biomedical advances may want to consult The Politics of Life Itself, a study of 21st-century biomedicine by sociologist Nikolas Rose. The book provides a comprehensive description of the latest biological … Read More
June 7, 2007
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) expressed alarm on Thursday over rising cases of trade in human organs in Asia, and said globalization had increased risks of human trafficking. (Reuters)
June 7, 2007
In a surprising advance that could sidestep the ethical debates surrounding stem cell biology, researchers have come much closer to a major goal of regenerative medicine, the conversion of a patient’s cells into specialized tissues that might replace those lost … Read More
June 7, 2007
Part human, part machine the cyborg is not just a piece of science fiction any longer. Professor of cybernetics at the University of Reading, UK, Kevin Warwick shocked the international scientific community when he became the world’s first cyborg by … Read More
June 7, 2007
Mostly Republican lawmakers defeated a Democratic bid on Wednesday to outlaw cloning of human babies, concurring with the White House that the effort was flawed and would still permit destruction of life because it would allow embryos to be created … Read More
June 7, 2007
Despite disagreements about the ethics of embryonic stem-cell science, research in the field is thriving globally. At least 500 companies and collaborations have sprung up, 100 of them in the past year alone, according to industry watchers. And although therapies … Read More
June 7, 2007
The goal is to make human eggs, ovarian tissue, blood vessels, even whole organs available when needed. To get there, researchers are directly comparing slow-freezing techniques, used successfully for decades to preserve sperm and embryos, to a more rapid method … Read More
June 7, 2007
The politics of stem cells are stuck in a repeating loop. This week, the House of Representatives will again take up a bill to overturn President Bush’s embryonic-stem-cell-funding policy, and to use taxpayer dollars to encourage the destruction of human … Read More
June 6, 2007
Legislation that redefines human cloning so that it legalizes it while purporting to ban it altogether is all the rage these days among Big Biotech boosters. An attempt to pass such a phony ban in the Congress lost today by … Read More
June 6, 2007
The word from Sacramento is that the authors of A.B. 374, and Assembly Speaker Nunez have turned the political pressure cooker to the red zone as they seek 41 votes to pass the bill into the California Senate. So far, … Read More
June 6, 2007
Scientists continue to make headway on the goal of reverting adult cells back to an embryonic stem cell state. From the story: Their procedure makes ordinary skin cells behave like stem cells. If the same can be done with human … Read More
June 6, 2007
James Shirley, the biologist was denied tenure by MIT. An African-American, he claims racism. I suspect (but cannot prove) however, that it is his anti-human cloning and ESCR mindset that caused his denial–which is highlighted in “A Stem-Cell Heretic Makes … Read More
June 6, 2007
In a big step toward a long-sought goal, three teams of scientists say they’ve produced the equivalent of embryonic stem cells, at least in mice, without taking the controversial step of destroying embryos. (AP)
June 6, 2007
If this story is true, it is not the first time that Africans have been used in unethical experiments that would never be attempted in developed nations. Pfizer is being sued by Nigeria for killing and disabling children whilst testing … Read More
June 6, 2007
Jordan has uncovered scores of cases in which human organs have been bought and sold illegally in recent months, with traffickers preying on poor people, a newspaper reported Wednesday. (Middle East Times)
June 6, 2007
A panel of 36 mice could finally deliver the long-unfulfilled promise of personalized medicine. The mice were specially bred to contain just about any genetic predisposition in humans. They should help scientists determine which drugs are dangerous — or more … Read More
June 6, 2007
In a saner world, the place where you live wouldn’t have much effect on how doctors treated your back problems. In our world, it can make all the difference. (New York Times)
June 6, 2007
A total number of 17 academic and non-profit institutions in California will boost their stem cell research with new funds totaling 50 million U.S. dollars. The funds were awarded on Tuesday from the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM), California … Read More
June 6, 2007
The following is an exclusive interview LifeNews.com conducted with Kansas Sen. Sam Brownback. He is a pro-life advocate who is seeking the Republican Party’s nomination for president and we talked about the topic of stem cell research. (LifeNews)
