News

11/28/07 The Best of November

A huge month. A huuge month. The Vatican tries to gets its arms around the human embryo.  The California Institute for Regenerative Medicine struggles to exit the spotlight and enter the grants-making business. David Jensen breaks the story. Thanks to James Thomson and Shinya Yamanaka, we welcome new arrivals to the stem cell family, joining a dewy colony of cloned monkey cells. Aww, cute. In a polar contrast, a private stem cell bank collecting and storing menstrual blood say the cells found there “demonstrate compelling promise to transform commercial therapies.” We’ll have to see about that. Geron, a leading embryonic stem cell company, reports in the Journal of Neuroimmunology that its stem cell line provokes only a minimal immune reaction in laboratory experiments. Hillary Clinton, in a moment of clarity, appoints Colorado Rep. Diana DeGette as a health adviser. Fred Thomson, in a fuliginous fugue, cites the widely discredited Prentice List of 73 Stem Cell Treatments. India finally issues its draft guidelines for stem cell research.

10/29/07 The Best of October

Rudolph Jaenisch recounts the differences between Iranian and American stem cell researchers. Adult stem cell scientist Marcus Grompe describes his philosophical conflict. UK officials fret about embryonic stem cell banks that are ahead of their time, and Bernadette Tansey provides a deeper analysis of a San Francisco cell banking company (see the TSC’s To Bank or not to Bank). The Pope scolds South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun. A New Jersey mother, Tricia Riccio, explains why it is important to fight for stem cell funding. Injured pooches are being treated with stem cells. Has the time come to test stem cell treatments for sickle cell anemia? S. Shenoy considers the question and Sangamo Biosciences announces how a cool technology can be used to modify stem cells.

08/08/2007 CIRM-sponsored event, Spotlight on Cerebral Palsy to be held 8 August at the University of California, San Francisco.

07/25/2007

“Straight Talk about Stem Cells” now on iTunes U http://itunes.stanford.edu/

06/29/2007

Stanford classes on iTunes! Lectures from the popular class “The Stem Cell” will post in July! Go to http://itunes.stanford.edu/ on iTunes U.

06/26/2007

KQED’s Forum with Michael Krasny: KQED Forum: Stem Cell Veto (includes direct link to audio files of the program)

Program Description: In light of President Bush’s recent veto of a measure promoting embryonic stem cell research, the program examines the political, social and legal implications of the veto and assesses how California is independently developing this scientific investigation.

Guests:

  • Alta Charo, professor of Law and Bioethics at the University of Wisconsin Law School
  • Christopher Thomas Scott, director of Stanford’s Program on Stem Cells in Society
  • Dale Carlson, chief communications officer for the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine
  • David Jensen, publisher of the California Stem Cell Report and former editor at the Sacramento Bee