EC creates registry for hESC lines

European Commission creates registry for human embryonic stem cell lines Brussels, 29 March 2007 The European Commission has today agreed funding for the creation of a European registry for human embryonic stem cell lines. ................. ZenMaster

Experiment in The Scientist: Interactive Stem Cell Discussion

Stem Cell Experiment in The Scientist Thursday, 29 March 2007 On The Scientist website you can find a new experimental feature - an ‘interactive article’ with questions to the public that will be used in forming articles for the print version of the magazine next month. You can find it here: Special Feature: Stem cell cloning needs you. “In a unique experiment we're inviting you to participate in a discussion that will help shape our next feature on stem cell research and post comments.” They further write: “We're inviting people to give us their thoughts and questions on whether we need to rethink the scientific and ethical approach to stem cell cloning to help shape a feature that we'll be running in the June issue of the magazine. [...] we're treating this more as an experiment in user participation, which we'd love to do for more articles in future if people respond to this.”

There are three main questions they put:

• Is the nuclear transfer challenge one of understanding or technique?
• Is it time to reevaluate the ethics of stem cell cloning?
• Does stem cell cloning need new terminology?

So, go there and post your comments! It would be really nice if people could go there and actually address the issue and try to answer the questions. Adding a comment is easy with no special registration hoops to go through. It’s an interesting approach, as an experiment for a better and more extensive communication between the public and the science-world on a complex issue. ZenMaster

Stem cell therapy shows promise for rescuing deteriorating vision

Stem cell therapy shows promise for rescuing deteriorating vision UW-MU Communications, WI - March 28, 2007 For the millions of Americans whose vision is slowly ebbing due to degenerative diseases of the eye, the lowly neural progenitor cell may be riding to the rescue. In a study in rats, neural progenitor cells derived from human fetal stem cells have been shown to protect the vision of animals with degenerative eye disease similar to the kinds of diseases that afflict humans. The new study appears today (March 28) in the journal Public Library of Science (PLoS) One. ………… ZenMaster

Ian Wilmut: Cloner Offers Sad Tale

Cloner Offers Sad Tale Hartford Courant - March 28 2007 A decade ago, Ian Wilmut and a team of researchers in Scotland stunned the world when they announced they had cloned "Dolly" from the udder of a 6-year-old sheep, proving it was possible to make even old cells young again. The advance meant cloning might unveil the secrets of cellular development, helping researchers find cures for countless diseases. But Wilmut - in Hartford on Tuesday for the StemCONN 07 international stem cell conference - talked about why over the last 10 years he and other scientists have not been able to accomplish the same feat with human cells. …………….. ZenMaster

New Embryonic Stem Cell Signaling Pathway Described

New Embryonic Stem Cell Signaling Pathways Tuesday, 20 March 2007 A newly discovered small molecule called IQ-1 plays a key role in preventing embryonic stem cells from differentiating into one or more specific cell types, allowing them to instead continue growing and dividing indefinitely, according to research performed by a team of scientists who have recently joined the stem-cell research efforts at the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California. ZenMaster

NIH chief Zerhouni: Stem cell ban hobbles science

NIH chief Zerhouni: Stem cell ban hobbles science AP - Mon Mar 19, 6:30 PM ET Lifting the ban on taxpayer funding of research on new stem cells from fertilized embryos would better serve both science and the nation, the chief of the National Institutes of Health told lawmakers Monday. Allowing the ban to remain in place, Dr. Elias A. Zerhouni told a Senate panel, leaves his agency fighting "with one hand tied behind our back." ………… ZenMaster

Will US Congress Pass Stem Cell Legislation this Time?

Will US Congress Pass Stem Cell Legislation this Time? Sunday, 11 March 2007 The US Senate is soon expected to consider the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act of 2007, known as S.5. The House of Representatives already passed H.R. 3, its version of the bill, by a vote of 253 to 174. Both bills are identical to the stem cell research bill that passed both the House and Senate last year but was vetoed by Pres. Bush. Editor CellNEWS 2007-03-09

Human ES Cells Form Blood Vessels In vivo

Human ES Cells Form Functional Blood Vessels In vivo Thursday, 08 March 2007 A group at Harvard Stem Cell Institute and Shanghai Huashan Hospital have successfully shown that human embryonic stem cells can be induced to forl fully functional blood vessels in immunorestricted mice. Their work is described in the February 25th issue of Nature Biotechnology. Editor CellNEWS 2007-03-08