The first CA state stem cell grants are awarded in California! At the site below, you can see Governor Schwarzenegger of CA, scientist Bob Klein and stem cell advocate Don C. Reed at a press conference on CA's recent $40 million to fund embryonic stem cell research, more than NIH provides for embryonic stem cell research for the entire country.
http://cbs5.com/video/?id=20865@kpix.dayport.com
It looks like New York is not far behind...
Albany Times Union
Feb. 18, 2007
OP/ED
Spitzer shows leadership in stem cell research
By SUSAN SOLOMON
First published: Sunday, February 18, 2007
Gov. Eliot Spitzer's proposed budget includes $100 million to o jump-start stem cell research and other cutting-edge science in New York. This represents a historic first step in what can and should be a concerted effort to make the state a critical center of stem-cell research. The key to this ambitious effort will be embracing an effective private-public partnership. The results could be stunning, both in their clinical implications and their economic impact.
Stem-cell science -- human embryonic stem cell research, in particular -- represents the most important and promising area of scientific endeavor in the effort to help the millions of Americans affected by the worst diseases of our time.
Equally promising is a cutting-edge technique called somatic cell nuclear transfer, in which the DNA of an unfertilized, unimplanted egg is replaced with the genetic material from a donor. The donor's DNA can be obtained, for example, from a simple skin biopsy. If the patient has a particular disease, such as diabetes or Parkinson's, this technique allows for the creation of disease-specific embryonic stem cell lines. These lines could allow scientists to "reverse engineer" diseases and greatly improve our understanding of how they develop and affect the body -- knowledge that is key to developing better treatments and cures.
State money will serve as a tremendous force in moving stem cell science forward far more rapidly, but it will not provide a total solution to the urgent need for funding. Private philanthropy will continue to play a critical role by creating cutting-edge research programs, helping to establish proof of concept and getting them off the ground.
Private funding can be nimble in a way that even the most enlightened government agency cannot. It can be the catalyst, starting programs that can then be scaled up with the benefit of an infusion of government funding. In addition, private funding sources are able to support research programs the government cannot or will not fund.
The combination of public and private dollars focused on the most advanced scientific research has the potential to be enormously powerful. We are poised to create a fertile environment in New York for the world's best scientists and, in the process, provide a significant economic boost to regions in dire need of new industry. Governor Spitzer has planted a flag in the name of scientific and fiscal progress. All New Yorkers affected by disease and disability must show their support for his bold plan.
Right now, there are scientists engaged in human embryonic stem cell research here in New York. They, like their colleagues in places like Boston and San Francisco, have their hands tied by a federal policy that has eliminated government funding for this work, with the exception of research using a few approved stem cell lines that were created using outdated techniques. We are losing a generation of scientists. Young men and women coming out of medical school and doctorate programs have no incentive to pursue stem cell research, despite the fact human embryonic cell research offers the greatest hope for medical advances in our time.
The initial funding proposed by Governor Spitzer -- envisioned as the first element of a larger $2.1 billion state effort to drive stem cell and other innovative research -- sends a clear message to young people here and around the world that advanced scientific research is vital, that we, as a society, believe in it, and that New York is a place where they can forge a career using scientific knowledge for the betterment of humankind.
Susan Solomon is the CEO and co-founder of the New York Stem Cell Research Foundation.
9 comments:
Hy Doc:
I know this isn't the right thread for this but with Al off the air I am beside myelf.
If homosexuality can be identified in utero does the Conservative position on Abortion change?
Randall Terry the original head of Operation Rescue believes in Biblical Justice.
What a quandry.
Anti-Gay Politics and the Religious Right
The Death Penalty for Homosexuality
Among the hardest core of the Religious Right are those who embrace "reconstructionism," which advocates imposing a radically fundamentalist interpretation of "Biblical law" onto American society. On the September 4, 1998 Armstrong Williams talk show, Colorado talk-radio personality Bob Enyard called for the death penalty for gays and adulterers. Last year, a Christian radio talk-show host in Costa Mesa, California said, "Lesbian love, sodomy are viewed by God as being detestable and abominable. Civil magistrates are to put people to death who practice these things." The announcer urged listeners to contact legislators and ask that they enact capital punishment for homosexuality. The station manager called the program "an honest dialogue concerning Christian beliefs." Congressional candidate Randall Terry, former head of Operation Rescue, extends this view of "Biblical law" to include "Biblical slavery" and capital punishment for rebellious teenagers.
Great now I have even more too much time on my hands.
Bun Bun
Bun, Bun! Nice to see ya.
You're welcome here anytime, on or off-topic.
Doc,
Can you please address the issue of private versus public research on stem cells? The roomie's latest argument against stem cell research is that if it held any promise, then corporations would be leading the way.
On a further note, what happens when a corporation makes a discovery in medicine over a university?
Yes, IJ! I'll make a new thread about it today.
Oh good a real thread.
I was feeling like such a Lyotard!
Lifted liberally from
Sequence The Race to create the human Genome
addresses many of the issues that IJ raises.
"
Venta, as described by Davies, is a daring and determined man who was striving for real scientific breakthroughs and big impact. At the NIH, his goal was to identify and study the genes responsible for the "fight or flight" hormone, adrenaline. It was he who arranged to have the ABI machines sent to his lab at the NIH and began working with it at feverish pace. Using it almost as a toy, he sequenced a whole set of human DNA fragments and genes. The next move that he made proved historic. He decided to apply for patents for these human DNA sequences, and hell broke loose!
While the NIH boss, Dr. Bernadine Healy, supported him in his move, Director of the Genome Centre at the same place, James Watson, was scandalised and irrevocably opposed to patenting of human genes. This led to two things - one, that public funding should not go for ethically questionable moves (incidentally, the patent was not awarded anyway), and two- Venter decided to part ways and start a private institute that would go on to decode the human genome on its own. He resigned his government job and started The Institute for Genomic Research (TIGR) a few miles north of NIH. Unhappy with the stand taken by Healy and NIH, Watson quit his position as Director of the NIH Genome Center (in the event Healy too left her position as Director of NIH). Distinguished biologist, Francis Collins, succeeded Watson and the Nobelist Harold Varmus replaced Healy.
With the new team at the NIH, the "public" human genome project got into full steam. Their strategy was to make freely available on the Internet the sequences as they emerged from the lab. This noble move made patenting impossible and the human genome sequence the property of all humanity. The challenge to Venter thus became not just patents but to win the race to crack the genome. Thus was the race started. Venter, in typical style, joined hands with Hunkapiller and ABI, and installed over 250 automatic robotic sequencers at TIGR and had an army of colleagues running the machines round the clock, round the year. While the public Human Genome Project or HGP targeted 2004 as the year to complete the sequencing of the entire human genome, Venter claimed he would do so by 2001.
The strategies of the HGP and Venter (who now created a new company called Calera Genomics out of TIGR) were different. Yet, stung and rivaled by each other, they hastened their paces and completed the task independently and simultaneously in 2001, to 97 % accuracy, so that the Draft Human Genome Sequence is available for all to see today. `Peace' between the two was brokered by none other than Charles De Lisi of DOE, who stood along with Collins, Venter and President Clinton in July 2000 (with Blair on the satellite video across the ocean) announcing that the race is over - both parties agreeing that it was a tie! "
Welcome to FetusMart! Your one-stop location for all your...fetussy needs. Actually, this is probably the only website in the world where you CAN get fetuses, much less ones that fit your fetussy needs. Not to mention these ones have cute lil hats, and come in jars.
So you know the deal...copy the source code to the right of the fetus you want to adopt, paste the code somewhere and you have your own lil' fetus.
In August of 2004 Fetusmart had 400,000 hits. During this month alone 5,157 were apparently from the U.S. Government. Just to satisfy the government, I'll say that these are nondenominational, non-species specific creatures. I'll also say that I can see the CIA worker hiding in the tree next door, and I'd appreciate it if he'd put his binoculars away. If you still want to email me telling me what a sicko I am, go ahead. I won't argue but to answer the few folks who have emailed to fuss at me... No, they aren't human fetuses. If you don't like them, don't adopt one.
HY Doc;
Have you seen this?
Bun
http://bunnysnoog.cyborgcow.net/
Link for all your Fetusey needs.
Bun Bun
Bun, that's a new one on me!
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