MedWorm provides a medical RSS filtering service. Over 6000 RSS medical sources are combined and output via different filters. This feed contains the latest medical blog items that have been tagged with 'embryonic stem cell'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 02:10:27 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4953028&cid=t_119983_112_f&fid=34971&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.drmalpani.com%2F2011%2F06%2Fhow-to-improve-vitrification-of.html This is a guest post by our embryologist, Sai Gundeti.Vitrification is the newer alternative to the traditional ‘slow freezing’ technique of cryopreservation of embryos for storage and future use. It is far more efficient and effective than the older technique, which is why we now use only vitrification in our clinic for cryopreservation of eggs and embryos.It is the duty of the embryology team to learn this new technique, so they can offer the best possible care to their patients.Here’s how we vitrify embryos in our lab.It’s usually the supernumerary embryos which are vitrified, which is why embryo vitrification is generally carried out after the best ( top ) embryos have been transferred in the fresh IVF cycle . However, in some cases we may electively freeze all embryos , and no... The Patient's Doctor blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4953028 Sat, 18 Jun 2011 03:12:00 +0100 4953028 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3902872&cid=t_119983_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2F196962%2F Stem Cell Debate: Officials from the Obama administration said that they would appeal the federal ruling temporarily prohibiting federal funding for embryonic stem cell research. (via Reuters) Post from: BlissTree (Source: Breastfeeding 1-2-3) Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3902872 Wed, 25 Aug 2010 13:15:47 +0100 3902872 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2593218&cid=t_119983_136_f&fid=35300&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.metastaticlivercancer.org%2F2009-06-26-cancer-treatment%2Ffarrah-fawcett-death%2F Give your condolences here: Farrah Fawcett death, June 25, 2009. Watch her home video taped documentary of her last 2,5 years battling cancer including seeking alternative cancer treatments in Germany.   Farrah Fawcett died surrounded with her loved ones   Farrah Fawcett dies after a 2,5 year battle against anal cancer. According to the American Cancer Society, anal cancer is rare (an estimated 4,650 cases in 2006) but the number is rising, with those most affected being female and in their early 60’s. Farrah Fawcett dies at the age of only 62, born Februari 2nd, 1947.   At first it looked as if the chemotherapy and radiation treatments where working, but in 2007 came the abrupt Farrah Fawcett cancer update: it was back and Farrah Fawcett’s cancer had spread to her l... Metastatic liver cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2593218 Fri, 26 Jun 2009 02:35:08 +0100 2593218 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2510321&cid=t_119983_87_f&fid=35052&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FWomensBioethicsBlog%2F%7E5%2F7x7v5Us6dDM%2FESSCB_Statement_on_Compensation_of_Oocyte_Donors.pdf According to The Scientist, the Empire State Stem Cell Board determined last week that it's ethical to pay women to obtain eggs for use in stem-cell research.The ESSCB points to the practice of paying women who donate eggs for reproductive purposes, which is not prohibited under New York law, and argues that donation for research purposes is not meaningfully different from that practice. You can read the ethics board's statement here.An interesting difference in this case, however, compared with the reproductive instance, is that ESSCB will be using taxpayer funds to buy eggs. (Yeah, yeah, they're careful to say they're not buying eggs ... they're paying donors. Anybody buy that distinction?) (Source: Women's Bioethics Blog) Women's Bioethics Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2510321 Thu, 18 Jun 2009 17:52:50 +0100 2510321 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2375952&cid=t_119983_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F04%2Fsoylent-green-is-people-proposal-to.html More proof in that embryonic stem cell research is not--and never has been--about getting some use out of leftover IVF embryos that are due to be destroyed anyway. A serious proposal has been forwarded to make embryos for the purpose of storing them as a source of future medical need. From the story:Couples could be allowed to store embryos in order to use them to create new body parts or cure diseases.Government legal and ethical experts are to discuss whether families can 'bank' embryos not just for procreation but also for use by doctors to create personalised treatments for parents and their children.Now, [under UK law] embryos--the first stage of life after an egg has been successfully fertilised--can be stored for up to five years but only for procreation. But a huge ethical debate i... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2375952 Mon, 27 Apr 2009 15:59:00 +0100 2375952 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2347906&cid=t_119983_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F04%2Fnature-decries-attempts-to-redefine.html Considering the discussions we have had here as to what constitutes a human embryo, I thought it worth revisiting an old Nature editorial that decries the sophistic attempt within bioethics and the life sciences to pretend that an embryo before implantation in a uterus isn't really an embryo. Nature supports ESCR, but its editorial notes that the redefinition of the term "embryo" is being pursued for political purpose rather than scientific accuracy. From the editorial, "Playing the Name Game," Nature Vol 4367 July 2005 (No link, my emphasis):Last month's meeting of the International Society for Stem Cell Research in San Francisco witnessed a bizarre semantic debate. Delegates discussed a proposal to refrain from using the term 'embryo' when referring to the blastocysts from which human em... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2347906 Mon, 20 Apr 2009 17:37:00 +0100 2347906 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2347908&cid=t_119983_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F04%2Fis-governor-of-virginia-anti-science.html This escaped my notice until it was brought to my attention by a regular SHS reader. Last month, Tim Kaine the Governor of Virginia, signed into law a bill that prohibits the state from funding embryonic stem cell research. From the story: Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine, the chairman of the Democratic National Committee, has signed a bill into law banning the use of some state funds for embryonic stem cell research. The move puts the DNC chairman at odds with President Obama, who signed an executive order earlier this month reversing the Bush administration's ban on federal funding for research on embryonic stem cells. [Me: They just can't get it right, can they? Bush restricted federal funding, he did not ban it. But loyal SHSers know that.]...The governor signed another piece of legislation Mon... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2347908 Sun, 19 Apr 2009 19:00:00 +0100 2347908 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2347910&cid=t_119983_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F04%2Fbritish-scientists-tout-future-cure-for.html The headline of this story from the Times of London--"Blind to be Cure with Stem Cells"--is really putting the cart before the horse--it hasn't even been tried yet, after all. But such hype is par for the course. From the story:British scientists have developed the world's first stem cell therapy to cure the most common cause of blindness. Surgeons predict it will become a routine, one-hour procedure that will be generally available in six or seven years' time.The treatment involves replacing a layer of degenerated cells with new ones created from embryonic stem cells...This week Pfizer, the world's largest pharmaceutical research company, will announce its financial backing to bring the therapy to patients. The treatment will tackle age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the most common ... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2347910 Sat, 18 Apr 2009 22:51:00 +0100 2347910 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2347911&cid=t_119983_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F04%2Fpelosi-demagoguery-and-political-hype.html Either Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi doesn't know what is actually happening in biotechnology or she doesn't care. Actually, I think it is both. The other day, she went into utter hype mode about ESCR that was reminiscent of the bad old days when the only agenda of the Democrats and the media was, "Get Bush!" (Come to think of it, it still is.) From the story: We've had a situation where it's faith or science - take your pick. We're saying science is an answer to our prayers," the San Francisco Democrat saidWe've been through this faith nonsense repeatedly here at SHS, so I won't regurgitate it all again, except to note that it is very dangerous to demean rational and important ethical concerns as nothing but "faith," which is a personal and private matter, and thereby assert that ethi... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2347911 Sat, 18 Apr 2009 15:26:00 +0100 2347911 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2347913&cid=t_119983_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F04%2Fpretense-about-limited-nature-of.html The NIH has released its proposed rules regarding funding for ESCR in the wake of the Obama revocation of the Bush funding restrictions. The media pretends that they contain firm ethical limits. From the story:The guidelines restrict funding of work on cells made using certain more experimental methods, such as creating stem cells from a human egg only, a process called parthenogenesis, and a cloning technique called somatic cell nuclear transfer.They also would prohibit funding of work on embryos created specifically for research purposes, with the aim of keeping the money going to work using cells taken from embryos that parents donated after they decided not to try to use fertility clinic embryos to create a pregnancy.They also lay out guidance to make sure parents know and agree to how... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2347913 Fri, 17 Apr 2009 18:23:00 +0100 2347913 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2263903&cid=t_119983_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F03%2Fdishonesty-piled-upon-dishonesty-by.html It wasn't bad enough that President Obama stealthily removed a pro science/pro ethics pluripotent Bush stem cell policy, pretending that he was fighting the forces of anti-science. Now Melody Barnes, the president's domestic policy adviser, has written an article extolling the President's decision. That's fine. But what is quickly becoming the norm for this administration, it is deeply disingenuous, based on crucial factual omissions and straw man put downs. From her column:From this time forward, decisions about federal funding of stem cell research will be based on scientific principles. In the Obama administration, the scientific community will be empowered, but not unaccountable. Scientists who wish to conduct stem cell research must do so in a responsible manner and the president Obam... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2263903 Thu, 12 Mar 2009 20:39:00 +0100 2263903 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2258799&cid=t_119983_117_f&fid=36026&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Fzimney-health-and-medical-news-you-can-use%2Fwhat-exactly-are-embryonic-stem-cells%2F Stem cells have been in the news a lot this week because of President Obama’s executive order lifting the Bush administration’s strict limitations on federal funding for embryonic stem cell research. But stem cells are quite confusing because they come in so many different forms, involve such complex terminology, and seem to require an advanced degree in science to understand. So let’s try to focus on some basic concepts that are relatively easy to understand, such as what stem cells are, why they are so important, and just what the differences are between embryonic and adult stem cells. In order to understand stem cells, you first have to know a bit about cells in general. Cells are the basic functional units of life. There are countless organisms that consist of just one cell, such... Dr. Z's Medical Report blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2258799 Thu, 12 Mar 2009 18:49:53 +0100 2258799 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2263905&cid=t_119983_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F03%2Fdeconstructing-obamas-stem-cell-policy.html I have been mouthing off at President Obama's stem cell actions all week, particularly with regard to his silent evisceration of the "alternative methods" federal funding requirement. Toward that end, I did what I do when steam is coming out my ears; wrote a piece for the Daily Standard. From my column:The mainstream media--still obsessed with discrediting all things "Bush"--focused gleefully on the expected rescission of the restriction that under Bush limited federal funding to embryonic stem cell lines in existence on August 9, 2001. But opening up all existing and future embryonic stem cell lines to federal funding is not all that Obama did. While he made no mention of it in his widely covered East Room speech, a quiet press release issued on Monday stated that in addition to the above... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2263905 Thu, 12 Mar 2009 18:16:00 +0100 2263905 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2256070&cid=t_119983_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F03%2Fgreat-obama-straddle-oxymoronic-stem.html I'm finally getting around to reading President Obama's stem cell speech. It contains the usual bromides about how we are in danger of falling behind in science, yadda, yadda, yadda. But it also seems oddly oxymoronic to me. First he said: I can also promise that we will never undertake this research lightly. We will support it only when it is both scientifically worthy and responsibly conducted. We will develop strict guidelines, which we will rigorously enforce, because we cannot ever tolerate misuse or abuse. And we will ensure that our government never opens the door to the use of cloning for human reproduction. It is dangerous, profoundly wrong, and has no place in our society, or any societyBut then in the very next paragraph, he said: This Order is an important step in advancing the... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2256070 Wed, 11 Mar 2009 02:41:00 +0100 2256070 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2256071&cid=t_119983_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F03%2Ftaking-next-bite-of-apple-new-york.html The New York Times' editorial extolling the lifting the Bush stem cell funding policy--as it ignores the purely gratuitous trashing of the Bush order requiring funding for "alternative sources"--is the usual mix of ignorance and ideology that typifies its side's method of arguing this issue. First, it accuses Bush of having appointed "scientific" advisers on the issue based on ideology rather than expertise. But this has always been an ethical debate, not a science debate. Besides, Leon Kass not an expert in both science and ethics? William Hurlbut not an expert? Please.But here is the point of this post: Note that now it has obtained its way on ESCR funding, the NYT wants to take the next bite of the apple, calling for the rescission of the Dickey Amendment that prevents destruction of em... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2256071 Tue, 10 Mar 2009 16:20:00 +0100 2256071 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2255994&cid=t_119983_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FZ0ku5vOastI%2F Yesterday, President Obama coupled his lifting of an executive order banning federal funding for embryonic stem cell research with the signing of a memorandum directing “the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy to develop a strategy for restoring scientific integrity to government decision making.” In other words, at the very moment he was directly injecting politics into science by forcing taxpayers to fund research that many find immoral – and that could be funded privately – Obama declared that he wouldn’t politicize science. Don’t insult our intelligence. When government pays for scientific work that science is politicized. Yes, it could be argued that government not funding something is also political, but which is inherently more politicized, government f... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2255994 Tue, 10 Mar 2009 13:38:30 +0100 2255994 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2144447&cid=t_119983_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F01%2Fwas-fdas-escr-human-trial-approval.html When the FDA approved Geron's application to conduct human trials of their embryonic stem cell treatment for acute spinal cord injury, some noted that it might be political, coming as it did within days of the change of the presidential guard. I wasn't among those, but perhaps I should have been more cynical. Science has an article about the decision ("Celebration and Concern Over U.S. Trial of Embryonic Stem Cells Jennifer Couzin Science 30 January 2009: Vol. 323. no. 5914, p. 568--no link). This reaction from a stem cell research supporter should set off alarm bells:Evan Snyder, a neuroscientist who directs the stem cell research center at the nonprofit Burnham Institute for Medical Research in San Diego, California, warns that a shaky start could set the field back enormously. "There's ... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2144447 Thu, 29 Jan 2009 22:34:00 +0100 2144447 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2138220&cid=t_119983_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Fbreast-cancer%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fthe-other-side-of-embryonic-stem-cell-research%2F It is hard to watch people suffer. I think most people are sensitive and empathetic to the pain of others. When something is available that can alleviate that suffering, or reverse a traumatic injury, or eliminate a condition that is debilitating, we want to support and grasp for it. That is the promise that our society is looking for in embryonic stem cell research. I truly understand that. As much as I want to see people healed and perfected, I personally struggle with that outcome coming at the expense of human life. I personally wonder about the ethics of sacrificing the one we have not seen for one we love. For me as a Christian that question has been answered; we treasure all life in all forms, including the unborn. My equality of man then extends to the point of conception. That mea... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2138220 Mon, 26 Jan 2009 16:59:09 +0100 2138220 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2128813&cid=t_119983_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F01%2Fgeron-escr-drug-approved-for-human.html Well after years of saying it was coming, finally Geron got permission to attempt a human trial of its ESC-derived drug for acute spinal cord injury. (This is not a direct infusion of stem cells, but of a type of adult neural stem cell created by differentiating the ES cells.) This is not an efficacy trial, but a safety trial, and will only target patients with new injuries since it did not work in rats with older paralysis. From the story: Although the FDA says it does not make decisions based on politics, the company made the decision public just days after Obama was sworn into office. Stem cells are the body's master cells, giving rise to all the tissues, organs and blood. Embryonic stem cells are considered the most powerful kinds of stem cells, as they have the potential to give rise ... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2128813 Fri, 23 Jan 2009 16:12:00 +0100 2128813 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2115498&cid=t_119983_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F01%2Fobama-not-to-rescind-bush-escr-funding.html I am not sure what to make of this. According to a Politico writer, President Obama many not rescind President Bush's embryonic stem cell funding executive order. He is going to leave it to the Congress. From the story:Obama pledged during the campaign to lift the restrictions, and political observers had expected him to move swiftly to reverse President Bush's 2001 executive order--most likely with his own executive order.But the president-elect suggested Friday that he would wait for Congress to weigh in on the issue. "Well, if we can do something legislative then I usually prefer a legislative process because those are the people's representatives," Obama said in a CNN interview. "And I think that on embryonic stem cell research, the fact that you have a bipartisan support around that i... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2115498 Mon, 19 Jan 2009 17:55:00 +0100 2115498 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2083913&cid=t_119983_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F01%2Fembryonic-stem-cell-cancer-issue.html Scientists have been working on this for nearly a decade now on making ES cells capable of being used directly in therapies. They have been stymied by three primary problems; the potential for tissue rejection (which we will not get into in this post), the cells' propensity to form tumors called teratomas, and the problem of some ES cells appearing to be pre cancerous, making them very risky to inject into a living patient. With regard to the latter issue, it turns out that the healthiest appearing ES cells may be the most dangerous. From a blog entry over at Nature:Are ruddy cheeks a sign of health or a symptom of sickness? New work from Mickie Bhatia and colleagues at McMaster University suggests that, when it comes to embryonic stem cells, the very qualities researchers use to pick out ... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2083913 Tue, 06 Jan 2009 15:35:00 +0100 2083913 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2073793&cid=t_119983_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2008%2F12%2Fmore-stem-cell-excuses-from-escr.html It is a given that President Obama will dismantle the funding limitations on ESCR imposed by President Bush. Even though Bush's plan still resulted in about $160 million in human embryonic stem cell NIH funding, "the scientists" complain that it is his fault the field has not proved as fruitful as expected. From the story: Though optimistic about the effects of a new federal policy, research institutes caution that the fruits of this research will take time and that cures are not around the corner. "There's still a lot of basic science to be done....The [Bush] policy has set research back five to six to seven years in this country," Devitt said.Oh please. First, thanks to Bush probably more money was thrown at ESCR than ever would have otherwise been the case--think Proposition 71 among ot... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2073793 Tue, 30 Dec 2008 18:43:00 +0100 2073793 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2065366&cid=t_119983_87_f&fid=35052&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FWomensBioethicsBlog%2F%7E5%2F495291346%2FAAAS_workshop_report_education_of_dual_use_life_science_research.pdf Whatever it is you may celebrate at this time of year, we at the Women’s Bioethics Project wish you a happy and healthy holiday! Here is our week in review:~ Rat embryonic stem cells created; genetically engineered rats should follow soon, providing new models of human disease.~ AAAS workshop report recommends how to address education for scientists about biosecurity and the dual use dilemma for federal government, research institutions, and scientific organizations (co-authored by Mark Frankel).~ An analysis of biosecurity policy in the context of gene synthesis. How much is too much regulation?~ Biodefense Research: A Win-Win Challenge. An editorial proposing the optimal level of oversight of life-sciences research—coauthored by a number of National Science Advisory Board for Biosecu... Women's Bioethics Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2065366 Fri, 26 Dec 2008 03:43:40 +0100 2065366 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2017449&cid=t_119983_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2008%2F12%2Frevolving-door-journalism-from.html My good pal Ralph Nader often has complained of the "revolving door" between government regulators and legislators and the big corporations that are subject to regulation, giving the corporations, in his view (to which I subscribe), undue influence over their own oversite.But the same phenomenon can be seen increasingly in media, with reporters who essentially advocate for certain ideological agendas in their reportage eventually getting into the formal shilling business about those same agendas when they leave journalism. Case in point, Rick Weiss, formerly of the Washington Post. He used to cover the biotechnology beat, and it was clear which side had his sympathies (although more than most reporters on the science beat, he would occasionally pierce through the ESCR hype). Now, he is wit... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2017449 Fri, 05 Dec 2008 17:02:00 +0100 2017449 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1996206&cid=t_119983_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2008%2F11%2Fembryonic-stem-cell-method-denied.html Well, well, well: We are told that only the desire to impose religious belief stands in the way of the development of a thriving embryonic stem cell regenerative medical sector. That has always been wrong, but now there is vivid proof: The EU patent office has rejected a patent request for the primary method of deriving human embryonic stem cells. From the story: This application describes a method for obtaining embryonic stem cell cultures from primates, including humans, and was filed by the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF) in 1995.In 2006, the Technical Board competent for the case referred legal questions to the EBoA, in order to obtain clarity on a number of points. Decisive in the EBoA ruling was the application's claim regarding human stem cell cultures. The EBoA decided ... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1996206 Thu, 27 Nov 2008 15:43:00 +0100 1996206 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1939196&cid=t_119983_87_f&fid=35052&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FWomensBioethicsBlog%2F%7E3%2F444913257%2Fobama-election-signals-change-in-stem.html A commentary by friend and colleague Art Caplan in his MSNBC column:'Change' was the horse that Barack Obama's presidential campaign rode to victory. Indeed the 2008 election will be remembered not only for Obama becoming the first African-American president, but also for its impact on core bioethical topics that have long dominated American domestic politics. Divisive issues such as abortion bans failed to gain traction on state ballot initiatives, while newer bioethical concerns that are likely to dominate American politics for years to come, including physician-assisted suicide, emerged.The past eight years of the Bush White House have seen stem cell research and the status of embryos at the center of the moral values debate. Obama's election has brought the fight over embryonic stem ce... Women's Bioethics Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1939196 Fri, 07 Nov 2008 00:26:11 +0100 1939196 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1701781&cid=t_119983_107_f&fid=36585&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FHighlightHEALTH%2F%7E3%2F363568171%2F This article was published on Highlight HEALTH. Other Articles You May LikeExactly What are Stem Cells?Healthy Fast Food Not So HealthyMapping Connections in the Human BrainIncreased Coffee Consumption Associated with Lower Risk of Liver CancerDid You Eat Your Fruits and Vegetables Today? (Source: Highlight HEALTH) Highlight HEALTH blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1701781 Wed, 13 Aug 2008 04:37:42 +0100 1701781 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1223727&cid=t_119983_87_f&fid=35052&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FWomensBioethicsBlog%2F%7E3%2F233415721%2Fembryonic-stem-cell-trials-in-humans.html If all goes as planned, a California biotech firm will begin human testing using human-based embryonic stem cells by Spring of 2008. Dr. Thomas Okarma, CEO of Geron, said the firm plans to conduct... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]] (Source: Women's Bioethics Blog) Women's Bioethics Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1223727 Mon, 11 Feb 2008 22:49:28 +0100 1223727 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=676328&cid=t_119983_134_f&fid=35152&url=http%3A%2F%2Fsstrumello.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F06%2Fthis-just-in.html During the past several months, we have seen some extraordinary progress in stem cell research. As I previously reported, last month, a private company known as Geron Corp., based in Menlo Park, CA (near Stanford University) reported that they had successfully transformed human embryonic stem cells into the pancreatic beta cells. The cultured beta cells released insulin in response to glucose, something which earlier efforts failed to do. This research, funded by a private company, is not subject to any of the limits the Bush Administration has placed on embryonic stem cell research using Federal Funds. Proponents quickly seized upon this finding, combined with another study that suggested adult stem cells were not involved in beta cell development as justification for continued funding in... Scott's Web Log blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=676328 Wed, 06 Jun 2007 18:07:00 +0100 676328 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=623807&cid=t_119983_134_f&fid=35152&url=http%3A%2F%2Fsstrumello.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F05%2Fhuman-embryonic-stem-cells-cultured_19.html On Thursday, May 17, 2007, a private company known as Geron Corp., which is based in Menlo Park, CA (near Stanford University) reported that they had successfully transformed human embryonic stem cells into the pancreatic beta cells. Earlier research was able to successfully culture beta cells in vitro, but those cultured beta cells did not properly release insulin in response to glucose. In Genron's lab dishes, the cultured cells produced insulin, glucagon and somatostatin, three of the major hormones produced by islet cells.It is now fairly is well-established that islet transplantation, which can potentially be done on an outpatient basis by infusing beta cells into the patient's portal vein, can restore insulin independence, at least temporarily. The early results using the Edmonton Pr... Scott's Web Log blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=623807 Sat, 19 May 2007 16:20:00 +0100 623807