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News Roundup: Stem Cell Research News From Around the World A collection of News Roundup articles from the ISSCR newsletter, The Pulse, featuring stem cell news from around the world. The listings are organized by month of inclusion in the newsletter. 2009
January | February | March | April | May | June | July | August | September | October | November | December | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004
May 12, 2009
USA. On April 17, 2009, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) released draft guidelines for the federal funding of human embryonic stem cell research, the first step in developing policy in response to President Obama’s executive order issued in March. The NIH issued a request for public comment on the draft guidelines that will end on May 26, 2009. The ISSCR will examine and provide comment on these draft guidelines and will make its comments available on the ISSCR Web site in advance of the deadline. Anyone interested is encouraged to respond as individuals as well as at an institutional and organizational level. To assist you in responding, a template letter has been created for your use which references key points in the NIH draft guidelines and relates back to the ISSCR's Guidelines. Click here for the template letter. View the NIH draft guidelines. Submit comments.
April 14, 2009
European Stem Cell Group. Call for members! EuroSyStem calls for emerging and established independents and clinicians to join the new European Stem Cell Group. This group will bring together researchers from across Europe, and encourage cross-disciplinary collaboration. Group members will become Associate Principal Investigators (APIs) of EuroSyStem and will have access to EuroSyStem resources. Applications due May 29, 2009. More information. California, USA. The Governing Board of the California Institute of Regenerative Medicine approved funding for the 11 Bridges to Stem Cell Research Awards to provide training and career support services, worth $17.5 million, that they had tentatively approved at a meeting earlier this year. Read more. Connecticut, USA. The State of Connecticut Stem Cell Research Advisory Committee announced recommendations for a third round of state funding and directed the allocation of $9.8 million for stem cell research projects. Read more. New York, USA. The recipients of New York state stem cell research grants were announced, totaling $101.8 million in funding, to individuals and institutes for a range of exploratory and other research grants in addition to shared facilities/resources and equipment grants. For a list of awardees, click here. Texas, USA. Legislation has been introduced to the Texas House of Representatives that threatens to undermine human embryonic stem cell research in the state. Read the ISSCR’s letter to the Texas legislature. For more information and to find your representative, click here.
March 10, 2009
Brazil. Brazil will establish a National Laboratory of Embryonic Stem Cells that will distribute cell lines to around 70 public and private laboratories in Brazil for research purposes and provide training to researchers in the field. The center, slated to open in July, will be hosted jointly by the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro and the University of São Paulo. Read more. USA. In an Executive Order issued on March 9, 2009, President Barack Obama rescinded the policy of Aug. 9, 2001, that restricted federal funding for research using cell lines created before that date. The executive order calls on the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to develop revised policies that will oversee federal funding of human embryonic stem cell research. Read ISSCR’s response. USA. Two bills were submitted to the House of Representatives to update stem cell research policies, the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act (H.R. 873) and the Stem Cell Research Improvement Act (H.R. 872) similar to bills of the same name vetoed by President Bush. These reiterate changes included in the executive order of March 9, 2009, and if accepted by the House and the Senate, will add the weight of federal law. Read more.
February 10, 2009
Surrey, UK. ReNeuron Group plc reported on Jan. 19, 2009, that it has received approval from the UK Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) to begin initial clinical trials to assess safety of using a neural stem cell line for the treatment of patients who have suffered from an ischaemic stroke. Read more. California, USA. Geron Corporation announced on Jan. 23, 2009, that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had approved the first clinical trials using the products of human embryonic stem cells. Phase I trials of an embryonic stem cell-derived oligodendrocyte progenitor cells to treat patients with acute spinal cord injury will now be initiated. Read more. Connecticut, USA. On Feb. 5, 2009, Xiangzhong “Jerry” Yang (1959-2009), world renowned stem cell biologist, died after a battle with cancer. Yang was the first to clone a farm animal in the USA, and his cloning research was critical in U.S. Food and Drug Administration decisions that products of cloned farm animals were safe for human consumption. Founding director of the Center for Regenerative Medicine at the University of Connecticut, Yang was a stalwart advocate of human embryonic stem cell research and was an integral part of efforts that strengthened scientific ties between China and the USA. Read more.
January 13, 2009
Reprogramming wins Science’s Breakthrough of the Year 2008. Reprogramming placed as first runner-up in 2007 with reports of human iPS cells from three research groups. In 2008, the rapid extension of this technology has driven reprogramming to the number one position. Two groups demonstrated that patient-specific iPS cell lines can be derived for at least 10 different diseases, providing scientists with new tools to study the molecular basis of disease, new systems for drug screening and the potential to repair and replace damaged cells and tissues. Reprogramming of mature pancreatic exocrine cells to beta cells using similar techniques highlighted the potential of the reprogramming process in specialized tissue. Read more. United Kingdom. The Medical Research Council (MRC) and Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) commissioned a large public and stakeholder dialogue on stem cell research in the UK. In summer 2008, more than 200 members of the public took part in workshops which ran simultaneously in London, Cardiff, Bristol Newcastle and Edinburgh. In addition, nearly 50 stakeholders were interviewed from fields such as science, medicine, industry, ethics and religion. The results are now available. Read more, access the summary or view a full report.
2008
January | February | March | April | May | June | July | August | September | October | November | December | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004
December 9, 2008
Australia. The Australasian Society for Stem Cell Research (ASSCR) held its inaugural annual meeting as part of the Australian Health and Medical Research Congress and first annual general meeting on Nov. 17, 2008. The ASSCR is a recently formed professional membership society that represents stem cell researchers in Australia and New Zealand and facilitates networking between researchers, the general community and government. More information. Europe. On Nov. 27, 2008, the Enlarged Board of Appeal of the European Patent Office (EPO) ruled against the application to patent a method for obtaining embryonic stem cell cultures from primates, including humans, filed by the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF) in 1995. The decision was based on the European Patent Convention that does not allow patenting inventions whose commercial exploitation would be contrary to the ‘public order’ (here, the destruction of human embryos) and that prohibits patenting on uses of human embryos for commercial purposes. Read more from the EPO and WARF. ISSCR Guidelines for the Clinical Translation of Stem Cells. On Dec. 3, 2008, the ISSCR released its guidelines for the responsible development of safe and effective stem cell therapies for patients. A commentary article that summarizes the guidelines was published concomitantly in the ISSCR-affiliated journal, Cell Stem Cell. A Patient Handbook is included as Appendix 1 of the guidelines. Read more. United Kingdom. On Nov. 13, 2008, the Human Fertilisation and Embryology (HFE) Act 2008 was given royal assent and passed into law, updating the HFE Act of 1990. Amongst other actions, the 2008 HFE Act clarifies the regulation of any human embryo outside of the body and interspecies embryos (combination of human and animal genetic material). Part two of the act will come into effect in April 2009, the remainder in September 2009. Read more.
November 11, 2008
Cork, Ireland. University College Cork became the first university in Ireland to officially provide governance on human embryonic stem cell research, allowing research on lines imported from outside the country. Proposals for such research must be reviewed and approved under a defined code of practice by the University Review and Ethics Board. Ireland does not currently have a national policy or legislation on the issue. Read more. United Kingdom and California, USA. The Medical Research Council (MRC), UK, and the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) announced an international collaboration on stem cell research to enhance funding opportunities for transnational, multidisciplinary collaborations in translational and disease-focused research. The MRC followed this with a further commitment to translational medicine, announcing an award of £16 million to establish a national network of hubs to improve and advise on the design, conduct, analysis and reporting of clinical trials. Illinois, USA. Following the U.S. elections on Nov. 4, 2008, the ISSCR called on U.S. President-Elect Obama to make the expansion of U.S. federal funding for human embryonic stem a priority of his presidency. Read more. Michigan, USA. Michigan’s Proposal 2, a state initiative to accelerate medical research and develop new stem cell treatments for currently incurable diseases, was approved by voters in that state on Nov. 4, 2008. The amendment to the state constitution permits human embryonic stem cell research with certain restrictions. Read more.
October 14, 2008
Australia. The Embryo Research Licensing Committee of the National Health and Medical Research Council granted its first licenses for the derivation of nuclear transfer-human embryonic stem cells lines to in vitro fertilization clinic, Sydney IVF Limited. Read more. California, USA. On Sept. 29, 2008, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed legislation (SB1565) aimed at ensuring affordable access to California Institute of Regenerative Medicine (CIRM)-financed therapies but eliminating priority for funding human embryonic stem cell research. On Sept. 25, 2008, the Little Hoover Commission on California State Government Organization and Economy announced it will examine CIRM with a focus on governance and transparency following requests by key bill proponents. Read more. Maine, USA. Representatives from laboratories that have derived human embryonic stem cell (hESC) lines in member countries of the International Stem Cell Forum (ISCF) met at the Fourth International ESC Workshop, Oct. 10-12, 2008. The group convened at the Jackson Laboratory to update on a collaborative effort to develop standardized, defined culture media, to analyze the extent and causes of genetic instability in hESC lines, and to extend the registry that presents the data from ISCI1. More information. In conjunction, a meeting of the ISCF International Stem Cell Banking Initiative working group was held on Oct. 9-10, 2008, to develop a Points to Consider document addressing specific considerations for the banking of clinical grade human stem cells. More information. Maryland, USA. Participants of the Interstate Alliance on Stem Cell Research (IASCR) met on Sept. 9-10, 2008. The meeting brought together elected officials, policy makers, stem cell research program administrators and other affiliates to exchange information on stem cell initiatives and regulations in their jurisdictions, and foster effective interstate collaboration and state research program development. Massachusetts, USA. On Sept. 11, 2008, the University of Massachusetts Medical School and the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center (MLSC) officially launched the International Stem Cell Registry, an online resource of information on human embryonic stem cells and induced pluripotent stem cells.
September 9, 2008
Call for Comment Now Open: ISSCR Guidelines on the Clinical Translation of Stem Cells. The ISSCR Task Force on the Clinical Translation of Stem Cells has released a draft of the Guidelines for the Clinical Translation of Stem Cells for comment from ISSCR members, organizations and societies, as well as the public. The comment period will end on Oct. 1, 2008. The ISSCR welcomes comment from all interested parties. Click here to download the draft guidelines and submit comments. Maryland, USA. The U.S. National Institute of General Medical Sciences has awarded grants totaling approximately $27 million over five years to three groups in California, Wisconsin and Georgia. Read more. Washington D.C., USA. On Sept. 5, 2008, the U.S. National Academies of Science released a second amendment to its 2005 Guidelines for Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research. The amendment includes recommendations for the derivation and use of induced pluripotent stem cells, clarification of the term “direct expenses”’ in relation to reimbursement to women for egg donation, and further direction for the research oversight process. Read more and download the 2008 Amendment.
August 12, 2008
Melbourne, Australia. The Australian Stem Cell Centre has had a recent change in leadership. David Collins, previously chief operating officer has been appointed acting chief executive officer. United Kingdom. A license was granted by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority for human/non-human animal hybrid embryo creation to the Clinical Sciences Research Institute, University of Warwick effective July 1, 2008. This marks the third such license, but the first since the Commons voted in favor of hybrid research in May 2008. Massachusetts, USA. Concurrent with the publication of 20 disease-specific lines from 10 conditions (Park et al., 2008, see Literature Highlights) the Harvard Stem Cell Institute announced that the lines will be deposited in a new core facility and will make these lines available to researchers worldwide at a nominal fee to cover costs. Read more.
June 10, 2008
Brazil. The Supreme Court of Brazil ruled on May 29, 2008 by a narrow margin (6-5) to uphold the Biosafety Law of 2005 that allows the use of human embryonic stem lines derived from supernumerary or non-viable embryos produced by in vitro fertilization from IVF clinics provided that they have been stored for more than three years. The law was challenged by Brazil’s Attorney General as unconstitutional in May 2005. Read more. ISSCR Guidelines on the Clinical Translation of Stem Cells. The ISSCR Task Force on the Clinical Translation of Stem Cells will present its deliberations for the first time on June 12 at the 6th ISSCR Annual Meeting. After the presentation, a draft guidelines document will be made available on the ISSCR Web site, opening a period of public consultation through Sept. 15, 2008. Following consultation, the task force will develop a final version of the guidelines, expected to be released at the end of the year. Call for Comment Now Open: Best Practice for Banking of Human Embryonic Stem Cell Lines. The International Stem Cell Banking Initiative (ISCBI) sponsored by the International Stem Cell Forum (ISCF), has developed international recommendations on best practice for the banking, testing and distribution of human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) for research use, compiled with input from 17 countries and organizations. All users and distributors of stem cell lines are invited to provide comment by the end of June 2008, for evaluation before final publication. The guidance document is available on the ISCF Web site.
May 13, 2008
Call for Comment Now Open: Best Practice for Banking of Human Embryonic Stem Cell Lines. The International Stem Cell Banking Initiative (ISCBI) sponsored by the International Stem Cell Forum (ISCF), have developed international recommendations on best practice for the banking, testing and distribution of human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) for research use, compiled with input from 17 countries and organizations. All users and distributors of stem cell lines are invited to provide comment by the end of June 2008 for evaluation before final publication. The guidance document is available on the ISCF Web site. Beijing, People’s Republic of China. The International Stem Cell Banking Initiative (ISCBI) working group of the International Stem Cell Forum (ISCF) met on April 16-18, 2008, to discuss specific considerations for the banking of clinical grade human stem cells. The consensus of the discussions and ongoing research will be used to prepare a ‘Points to Consider’ document for entities deriving, banking and distributing of human stem cells for possible clinical use. More information. Germany. The German parliament ruled in favor of loosening restrictions on human embryonic stem cell (hESC) research to date governed by the Stem Cell Act of 2002. Under the new legislation derivation of hESC lines is still illegal in Germany, however, researchers may use imported lines derived before May 1, 2007, (formerly Jan. 1, 2002), dramatically increasing the number of lines available to researchers. The new law is also expected to simplify international collaborations by abolishing the application of current regulations to German researchers working abroad. Hinxton, UK. The Hinxton Group, an informal collection of individuals interested in ethical and well-regulated science coordinated by a U.S./UK steering committee, convened for a three-day meeting, April 9-11, 2008, in Hinxton, Cambridge, UK, to prepare a consensus statement on the Science, Ethics and Policy Challenges of Pluripotent Stem-Cell Derived Gametes. Read more. California, USA. The governing board of the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) voted on May 7, 2008, to finalize the distribution of $271 million to 12 institutions to build stem cell research facilities in California through its Major Facilities Grant Program. With additional funding committed by the applicant institutions and private donors, the program is expected to generate $750 million for facility development. More information. Maryland, USA. The board of directors of the Maryland Technology Development Corporation (TEDCO) approved 62 projects for funding of three Requests for Applications through the Maryland Stem Cell Research Fund (MSCRF) under the Maryland Stem Cell Research Act of 2006. More information. Washington, DC, USA. Participants of the Interstate Alliance on Stem Cell Research (IASCR) met on April 9-10, 2008. The meeting brought together elected officials, policy makers, stem cell research program administrators and other affiliates to exchange information on stem cell initiatives and regulations in their jurisdictions, and foster effective interstate collaboration and state research program development. Visit http://www.iascr.org to learn more about the IASCR, including participants, legislations and policies regarding state stem cell research programs and meeting minutes. Wisconsin, USA. On March 11, 2008, the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF) announced a decision from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to uphold the two patents held by WARF for primate (including human) embryonic stem cells and methods for their derivation. This followed an announcement in February 2008 on a third patent for a method for growing and sustaining human embryonic stem cells (hESCs). The decision to uphold the patents concludes a review process that began in October 2006. More information.
April 9, 2008
Newcastle, UK. Newcastle scientists reported the first generation of hybrid embryos in the UK, just one month before parliament will debate legislation on this technique. The hybrid embryos, created by injecting DNA from human skin cells into enucleated cow eggs, survived for three days. Ongoing work is aimed at extending this survival to six days in order to establish embryonic stem cell lines. The UK regulatory body, the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA), approved two applications, one from Kings College London and one from Newcastle University, to carry out research using human-animal cytoplasmic hybrid embryos in January 2008. The approval followed a statement by the HFEA in September 2007 that this research falls under its jurisdiction and that with careful scrutiny of proposals a license may be granted if the research is deemed necessary and desirable. Read more.
April 8, 2008
Newcastle, UK. Newcastle scientists reported the first generation of hybrid embryos in the UK, just one month before parliament will debate legislation on this technique. The hybrid embryos, created by injecting DNA from human skin cells into enucleated cow eggs, survived for three days. Ongoing work is aimed at extending this survival to six days in order to establish embryonic stem cell lines. The UK regulatory body, the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA), approved two applications, one from Kings College London and one from Newcastle University, to carry out research using human-animal cytoplasmic hybrid embryos in January 2008. The approval followed a statement by the HFEA in September 2007 that this research falls under its jurisdiction and that with careful scrutiny of proposals a license may be granted if the research is deemed necessary and desirable. Read more.
March 11, 2008
Germany. The German parliament, the Bundestag, is debating loosening restrictions incorporated in the Stem Cell Act of 2002, which regulates research on human embryonic stem cells (hESC). Changes being considered include allowing research on recently derived hESC lines (current cut-off is January 2002), importation and use of lines for clinical purposes and abolishing the application of current regulations to German researchers working abroad. More information (German language). California, USA. The California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) announced that it expects to generate approximately $750 million to support the development of new stem cell research facilities through its Major Facilities Grants program. The program will provide up to $262 million, with the additional funding committed by the applicant institutions and private donors. The final decision is expected May 6-7, following an open meeting of the Research Facilities Working Group on April 4-5. More information. Wisconsin, USA. On Feb. 28, the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF) announced a decision from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to uphold its patent on a method for growing and sustaining human embryonic stem cells (hESCs). Rulings on two other patents held by WARF, for primate (including human) embryonic stem cells and methods for their derivation, are still pending. Reexamination proceedings on the three patents were initiated in October 2006, and the patents were rejected in a preliminary ruling in March 2007. Continued challenges to the patents are expected. More information.
February 12, 2008
Berlin, Germany. The European Human Embryonic Stem Cell Registry (hESCReg) launched on Jan. 18, 2008, in association with the 1st European Human Embryonic Stem Cell Registry Symposium, Berlin, Germany. The registry is freely accessible at www.hescreg.org, documenting detailed information on hESC lines, research projects and tools. The database focuses on European lines but extends beyond EU borders and will continue to be developed. Providers of hESC lines worldwide and researchers who work with these lines are invited to submit information for inclusion. New York, USA. On Jan. 7, 2008, the recipients of the first round of grants from the New York state stem cell initiative were announced. One-year stem cell research institutional development grants, totaling $14.5 million, will support New York state research institutions to engage in stem cell research and training. Read more. Japan. The Japanese government is providing substantial funding to capture the promise of induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cell research for five years beginning in 2008. The science ministry and the health ministry have both pledged dedicated funding, including grants to be given directly to key iPS cell researcher Shinya Yamanaka and funds to establish infrastructure to support regenerative medicine endeavors. Read more.
January 8, 2008
California, USA. CIRM announced the recipients of the Faculty Awards, aimed at supporting newly independent investigators in pursuing innovative studies in all aspects of stem cell research by providing stable financial support for up to five years. View list of recipients. Washington DC, USA. Science Magazine featured “Reprogramming Cells”—the reprogramming of adult differentiated cells to an ES-like state—as number two in the top 10 scientific Breakthroughs of the Year, 2007. UK. Dr. Ian Wilmut received a knighthood for services to science, listed in the 2008 New Year Honours. His knighthood recognizes his key work in mammalian cloning, which brought the world Dolly the sheep. The announcement of Dolly 10 years ago showed that mammalian cloning from adult cells was possible, and was both the culmination of and the opening for a great body of scientific research. Read more about the history of cloning. Newcastle, UK. An egg sharing scheme will launch with 15 women at the Newcastle Fertility Centre at Life in association with a research team at the North East Stem Cell Institute (NESCI). The research team contributes to the cost of the patient’s IVF treatment in return for the donation of some of her eggs to be used for nuclear transfer studies. In addition to local ethics review, the scheme was granted approval by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) in July, 2006 with confirmation after public consultation in January 2007. More information.
2007
January | February | March | April | May | June | July | August | September | October | November | December | 2006 | 2005 | 2004
December 11, 2007
Berlin, Germany. Following recent reports of technological breakthroughs in human cell reprogramming, Germany’s Minister for Education and Research announced a doubling of federal funding for research into adult cell reprogramming from €5 million to nearly €10 million. This is made possible by a dramatic increase in the 2008 federal budget for science and education. Read more. [Text in German].
USA. The Interstate Alliance on Stem Cell Research (IASCR) launched its Web site Dec. 3, 2007. The IASCR was established to facilitate coordination among states that wish to advance stem cell research. Visit http://www.iascr.org to learn more about the IASCR, including participants, legislation and policies regarding state stem cell research programs, meeting dates and other topics.
November 13, 2007
Asia-Pacific. Eight countries and territories in the Asia-Pacific region have joined together to form the Stem cell Network for the Asia Pacific (SNAP). The network aims to increase the visibility of research in the area and provide skill and career building opportunities for its junior investigators. The SNAP steering committee, led by Shin-Ichi Nishikawa of Japan, is soliciting workshop proposals. Read more. Maine, USA. Representatives from laboratories that have derived human embryonic stem cell (hESC) lines in countries of the International Stem Cell Forum (ISCF) met at the Third International ESC Workshop, Oct. 19-21. The group convened at the Jackson Laboratory and finalized plans for the upcoming forum initiative (ISCI2), a collaborative effort to develop standardized, defined culture media, to analyze the extent and causes of genetic instability in hESC lines, and to extend the registry that presents the data from ISCI1. More information. The ISCF Cell Banking Meeting on Oct. 18-19, preceded the workshop and promoted interaction and coordination between the active and developing cell banks and distributors within the ISCF. The consensus of the discussions and ongoing research will be used to prepare a summary of the generic issues for stem cell banks, and to provide guidance on current best practice for stem cell banking. Massachusetts, USA. Participants of the Interstate Alliance on Stem Cell Research (IASCR) met in Cambridge, Mass., Oct. 24-25, hosted by the British Consulate. The group brings together elected officials, policy makers, stem cell research program administrators and other affiliates to exchange information on stem cell initiatives and regulations in their jurisdictions. The IASCR aims to advance stem cell research (human embryonic, adult and other) by fostering effective interstate collaboration, by assisting states in developing research programs, and by promoting efficient and responsible use of public funds. For more information contact the IASCR Chair Warren Wollschlager, warren.wollschlager@ct.gov, or Secretariat Dr Fran Sharples, fsharples@nas.edu. New Jersey, USA. New Jersey voters rejected a ballot initiative that would have permitted the state to borrow $450 million to fund stem cell research over 10 years. The margin was 53 percent to 47 percent.
October 9, 2007
California, USA. The California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) announced the appointment of Dr. Alan Trounson, as its new president. Dr. Trounson will join the CIRM in late December from the Immunology and Stem Cell Laboratories at Monash University, Australia. Dr. Richard Murphy remains interim president and will continue working with the CIRM for several months after Dr. Trounson’s term begins. California, USA. The CIRM sold $250 million in general obligation bonds under Proposition 71, a $3 billion stem cell research measure approved by voters in 2004 but stalled by legal battles until recently. The sale opened on Oct. 3 and closed on Oct. 4. Individual investors represented 41.1 percent ($102.8 million) of sales. The week also brought an announcement of funding of two new research initiatives, one aimed at finding new sources of human pluripotent stem cells and the other for disease team planning awards to initiate the translation of research to therapy or diagnostic tools for a particular disease or injury. USA. The National Institutes of Health has released a plan to implement an executive order made by President Bush on June 20, 2007, Expanding Approved Stem Cell Lines in Ethically Responsible Ways. As part of this plan, the U.S. Human Embryonic Stem Cell Registry will be renamed the Human Pluripotent Stem Cell Registry, expanding its remit to include any human pluripotent stem cell line developed without the creation or destruction of embryos. A number of funding opportunities will be developed to support research on human pluripotent stem cells from non-embryonic sources. Read more. Sweden. The Nobel Assembly at the Karolinska Institute announced on Oct. 8, 2007 that the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, 2007, was awarded to Mario R. Capecchi, Martin J. Evans and Oliver Smithies for their groundbreaking work in mouse embryonic stem cells and DNA recombination in mammals. Their research led to the isolation of mouse embryonic stem cells and the development of powerful gene-targeting techniques in the laboratory mouse, techniques that have allowed researchers to study the function of individual genes and model human diseases. Read more.
September 11, 2007
United Kingdom. On Sept. 5, 2007, the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) released its decision on how to approach the licensing of human-animal hybrids and chimera embryo research. This announcement followed a public consultation and open meeting on the ethical and social implications of such research. The statement announced that this research falls under the HFEA’s jurisdiction and that with careful scrutiny of proposals a license may be granted if the research is deemed necessary and desirable. Currently, two applications stand before the licensing committee to derive stem cells from cytoplasmic hybrid embryos (human embryos created from animal eggs instead of human eggs). It is hoped the committee will provide a decision on both applications in November. Read the full statement.
August 14, 2007
New South Wales, Australia. The New South Wales (NSW) Parliament has passed legislation allowing nuclear transfer research. This brings NSW into line with federal legislation passed in December 2006, and follows Victoria, which passed similar legislation in May 2007. Berlin, Germany. On July 16, 2007, the German National Ethics Council issued a position statement on the Stem Cell Law of 2002, which regulates research on human embryonic stem cell (hESC) research. A majority (14/24) recommend amendment of this law to allow case-by-case assessment for the import and use of hESC lines and allow research on hESC for clinical purposes. This follows a report released in November 2006 by Germany’s major funding agency, the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG), that also called for regulatory changes. Press release. Full position statement (German; English available soon). Sheffield and Edinburgh, UK. Scientists from EuroStemCell and ESTOOLS, the two major European-funded stem cell research consortia, presented a joint statement to members of the European Parliament calling for harmonization of laws pertaining to human embryonic stem cell research across Europe. Current legal differences between European states hamper international collaboration and create difficulties in the exchange of materials and expertise. Read the Press Release and Joint Statement. California, USA. The California Institute of Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) announced the appointment of Richard A. Murphy as interim president, effective Sept. 1, 2007. Dr. Murphy will serve in this position as a consultant for up to six months. Read more.
July 10, 2007
Washington DC, USA. Following its passage in both houses of the U.S. Congress, the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act that would have allowed expanded federal funding for human embryonic stem cell research, was vetoed by President Bush on June 20, 2007. A limited number of formally listed cell lines derived before August 9, 2001, remain eligible for U.S. federal support. Cairns, Australia. Embryologist Shoukhrat Mitalipov of the Oregon National Primate Research Center announced at the 5th ISSCR Annual Meeting, the generation of monkey nuclear transfer embryonic stem cells lines. Mitalipov’s team reports 20 cloned blastocysts and that from these two embryonic stem cell lines were derived. Read more
June 12, 2007
UK. A draft Human Tissue and Embryos Bill was released in May 2007 by the UK Department of Health as part of ongoing revisions to the laws governing assisted reproduction and embryology. The bill calls for a Regulatory Authority for Tissues and Embryos (RATE) that would replace the current Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) and Human Tissue Authority (HTA). The draft bill articulates that the final legislation should provide for certain inter-species hybrids and chimeras for research purposes as recommended by a recent Science and Technology committee report. Read the bill. California, USA. The Supreme Court decided in May to let stand lower court rulings that affirmed Proposition 71, a stem cell research initiative approved by voters in 2004. The issuance of bonds to finance the initiative can now move forward. In the wake of this decision, on June 5 the California Institute of Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) approved grants totaling more than $50 million to finance the development of research facilities and training courses for human embryonic stem cell research in multiple California institutes. Click here for more information on the grants and recipients. Massachusetts, USA. Gov. Deval Patrick announced in May a $1.25 billion state initiative that would provide grants for university and hospital scientists and special research centers, train workers for biotechnology businesses and establish a state stem cell bank to hold and distribute stem cell lines created in Massachusetts laboratories. Washington, D.C., USA. On June 7, the U.S. House of Representatives voted 247 to 176 in support of the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act of 2007 (S. 5), a bill that would allow stem cell scientists to receive U.S. federal funding to study the many valuable human embryonic stem cell lines currently excluded from this support (those created after August 9, 2001). This bill passed the Senate in April 2007 and will now go before the President for approval, or if not approved, a veto. Read more.
May 8, 2007
UK. The UK National Stem Cell Network (UKNSCN) was formally launched on April 18. The network will provide national coordination of the UK’s many national and regional stem cell research initiatives and act as a focal point for international communication. The UKNSCN’s Steering Committee, chaired by Lord Naren Patel of Dunkeld, was appointed in December 2006. The ISSCR is excited that the UKNSCN are co-sponsors of the 7th ISSCR Annual Meeting in London, UK, 2009. UK. On April 5, 2007, the Select Committee on Science and Technology released a report on the regulation of research using human-animal hybrid and chimeric embryos. The report recommended a legislative structure that permits the creation of such embryos for research purposes under a licensing system. The report supported the decision of the HFEA in January 2007 that this research most likely falls under the HFEA’s jurisdiction. On April 26, 2007, the HFEA opened a public consultation on the generation of hybrid or chimeric embryos for research. Two proposals have been received by the HFEA for research using human cells and animal eggs to produce stem cells and these remain pending. USA. The House of Representatives expect to vote in early June on the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act of 2007. This bill passed the Senate in April 2007 as S.5 but differs slightly from H.R. 3 the version that passed the House in January 2007, so must return to the House for approval before being sent to the President. It is crucial that the bill pass with a strong majority. The ISSCR strongly supports S.5 and encourages its members and supporters in the United States to contact your local representatives and express your support of this bill. Find your representative.
April 10, 2007
California, USA. On March 16, 2007, the California Institute of Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) awarded grants through its Comprehensive Research Grant Program, aimed at supporting established scientists over a four-year period. More information including a list of recipients and projects is available. Washington, DC, USA. The U.S. Senate will debate and vote on the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act, S. 5, beginning Tuesday, April 10. If enacted, S. 5 would allow stem cell scientists to receive U.S. federal funding to study the human embryonic stem cell lines currently excluded from this support (those created after August 9, 2001). This bill is a reintroduction of the bill H.R. 810 that passed both the House and the Senate last year but was vetoed by President Bush. The bill again passed the House as H.R. 3 in January, 2007. Virginia, USA. In a re-examination of three patents on the derivation of human embryonic stem cells held by the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF), the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office made the preliminary finding that the techniques included are not sufficiently novel. WARF has two months to challenge these findings before it becomes final and has indicated it will do so. The patents remain valid until the process is complete. Read more.
March 13, 2007
California, USA. The California Institute of Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) awarded its first human embryonic stem cell research grants to 72 researchers in 20 California institutions under its SEED research grant program. A list of applications, their summary and review comments can be found on the CIRM Web site. Proposals for additional grant programs have been accepted and are expected to be approved in March and June, 2007. 10th Anniversary of Dolly. On Feb. 27, 1997, Nature published the landmark paper announcing the birth of Dolly, whose genetic parent was not the Scottish Blackface ewe that bore it, but a cell taken from the mammary gland of a Finn Dorset ewe. Take this opportunity to review the science behind Dolly and where her creation has led us in the last 10 years.
February 13, 2007
UK. Following a recommendation in a UK government white paper that research involving human-animal chimeras and hybrids be outlawed, the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA), which regulates human embryo research in the UK, announced that this research falls under its jurisdiction and that it will invite public and scientific discussion on this issue before consideration of research proposals. Two proposals have been received by the HFEA for research using human cells and animal eggs to produce stem cells. USA. H.R.3, the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act of 2007, a reintroduction of the bill H.R.810 aimed at expanding federal funding of human embryonic stem cell research, was introduced in early January to the House of Representatives. The bill was passed by the House on Jan. 11. Introduced to the Senate as S.5, the bill is expected to be debated shortly. Visit the Coalition for the Advancement of Medical Research to find out how to lend your voice to supporting this bill. USA. Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF), which holds the patents on James Thomson’s method of isolating and defining human embryonic stem cells, announced policy changes effective Jan. 22, 2007, aimed at improving industry-sponsored stem cell research, academic and commercial licensing and clarifying WARF’s relationship with the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM). The changes will apply to current and future license agreements. More details.
January 9, 2007
Germany. A patent held by Professor Oliver Brüstle on a method of making neurons from ES cells was partially revoked by a German court based on the concept that anything made from human tissue should not be patented. Brüstle has indicated he will challenge this decision. Read more.
2006
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December 12, 2006
Australia. Australia’s House of Representatives voted to lift a ban on nuclear transfer for therapeutic purposes. A legislation review, headed by the late John Lockhart, released in December 2005, had recommended this course of action and the measure passed the Senate last month. The law is expected to come into effect in six months following the drafting of guidelines for egg donation and research licenses by health and sciences authorities. Germany. A report released by Germany’s major funding agency, the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG), calls for a relaxation of Germany’s Stem Cell Act of 2002, which regulates research on human embryonic stem cell (hESC) research; the report asks for changes to allow research on recently derived hESC lines (current cut-off is January 2002), to allow importation of lines for clinical purposes and to remove the application of current regulations to German researchers working abroad. More information. Connecticut, USA. The state of Connecticut Stem Cell Research Advisory Committee announced the first grant recipients of the Stem Cell Research Fund that was established in 2005 to encourage stem cell research in Connecticut. Read more.
November 14, 2006
Australia. Australia’s senate voted to lift a ban on nuclear transfer for therapeutic purposes. A legislation review, headed by the late John Lockhart, released in December 2005, had recommended this course of action. The measure must now go before the House of Representatives. California, USA. On Oct. 10, 2006, the California Institute of Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) unveiled a draft scientific strategic plan that describes its initiatives intended to advance stem cell research in California. The report includes a timeline for clinical development of therapies. Read more or download the report.
August 8, 2006
Europe. On July 24, 2006, the European Union council decided that research on ethically approved human embryonic stem cell (hESC) lines will be eligible for funding under Europe’s Seventh Framework Programme (FP7). Derivation of new hESC lines will not be eligible for funding. USA. Following passage in the Senate, Bill H.R. 810, the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act that would have allowed expanded U.S. federal funding for hESC research, was immediately vetoed by President Bush. A limited number of formally listed cell lines derived before August 9, 2001, remain eligible for U.S. federal support. Singapore. ES Cell International announced the derivation and banking of four new hESC lines using current Good Manufacturing Practice (cGMP) standards, an important advance toward future therapeutic use of such lines. Research-grade aliquots of these cell lines will be made available to academic researchers internationally through the A*STAR Singapore Stem Cell Consortium at modest cost and without IP reach-through. Additional lines are expected to be banked shortly. United Kingdom. A license for an egg-sharing” scheme, under which women already undergoing fertility treatment may donate some of their oocytes to research has been offered by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) to a North East of England Stem Cell Institute (NESCI) research group at the Newcastle Fertility Center at Life. Read more.
July 11, 2006
Europe. The European Parliament approved the continuation of the current policy for the funding of human embryonic stem cells by the Framework 7 program, a program that will fund research across the European Union (EU) from 2007-2013. Human embryonic stem cell research is eligible for funding through this program if the work has received ethical approval from the host country and at an EU-wide level. USA. Senate leaders have agreed to allow a vote on bill H.R.810 that would permit U.S. federal funds to be used for research on human embryonic stem cell lines previously excluded (those derived after August 9, 2001). H.R.810 passed in the house in May 2005. The vote is now scheduled before the senate goes into its August recess, possibly within the next week. The ISSCR has sent a letter in support of H.R.810 to all 100 senators. For more information on advocacy, visit the Coalition for the Advancement of Medical Research.
June 13, 2006
Italy. Italian Research Minister announced that Italy’s signature has been withdrawn from a document objecting to the use of European Union (EU) funds for hESC research. This decision is under attack from opposition politicians, and other groups including the Roman Catholic Church. Without Italy’s signature, EU nations that oppose hESC research would not have enough votes to support this stance in an EU-wide policy. See ISSCR's Open Letter to President Romano Prodi and Ministers of the Italian Republic.
Massachusetts, USA. Approval was granted to three researchers from the Harvard Stem Cell Institute to pursue somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) technology to generate disease-specific hESC lines. This endeavor will be one of a limited number of non-commercial efforts worldwide. Click here for more information or read the Harvard Gazette article.
May 9, 2006
Queensland, Australia. Griffith University welcomed the announcement of a $22 million grant from the Australian government to develop an Adult Stem Cell Research Centre at Griffith’s Eskitis Institute for Cell and Molecular Therapies. Click here for details. Victoria, Australia. Scientists from Monash University and the Australian Stem Cell Centre (ASCC) have announced a major collaboration with the University of California San Diego (UCSD) that will bring together more than 300 researchers in regenerative medicine and stem cell science. Click here for details. Seoul, Korea. A gene therapy facility has been opened in the Seoul National University Hospital where the World Stem Cell Hub was located. The gene therapy center is expected to focus on adult stem cells rather than embryonic stem cells, and will make use of equipment originally purchased for the Hub. United Kingdom. Launched April 12, 2006, the UK Panel for Research Integrity was established to advise and train those investigating misconduct allegations and to support individuals in universities and the National Health Service who bring misconduct to the attention of authorities. California, USA. A California court has ruled that state funding for stem cell research through the California Institute of Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) does not violate the state’s constitution. While this is a significant step forward toward the release of long-awaited funds, it is anticipated that appeals of this decision will continue to hold funding up for at least another year. Earlier in the month, CIRM was able to fund 16 universities and nonprofit research centers with $12.1 million through the sale of “bond anticipation notes.” Illinois, USA. The state government of Illinois has awarded $10 million to fund stem cell research at seven institutions through 10 grants. The research supported by these grants covers a range of diseases and cell systems, including some groups who plan to work on human embryonic stem cells.
March 14, 2006
The Hinxton Group, an international group of 60 scientists, doctors, philosophers, lawyers, scientific journal editors, federal regulators and others from 14 countries released its 15 principles and strategies for the ethical practice of stem cell research on Feb. 24, 2006. Read the report. The Stem Cell Resource, a public embryo bank housed in California, USA, has been established to collect donated embryos, largely supernumerary embryos from in vitro fertilization clinics, with plans to make these available to stem cell researchers worldwide. Read the article. Legislation in France has been passed specifying the conditions under which researchers may work on domestically derived human embryonic stem cell lines. While this legislation was pending, researchers were only able to use imported lines. Now, new cell lines may be derived from supernumerary embryos from in vitro fertilization following authorization of research proposals submitted to the Agence de Biomédicine. Read the government’s announcement.
January 5, 2006
Scientific Inaccuracies in Stem Cell Research Article National Cord Blood Registry Initiative, USA Stem Cell Grants Awarded by New Jersey Commission on Science and Technology
2005
January | February | March | April | May | June | July | August | September | October | November | December | 2004
December 1, 2005
UK Government Response to the UK Stem Cell Initiative Report International Stem Cell Guidelines Taskforce Korean Society for Stem Cell Research
November 1, 2005
World Stem Cell Hub. On Wednesday, Oct. 19, the World Stem Cell Hub was announced in Seoul, South Korea. The World Stem Cell Hub, supported by the South Korean government, will be based at Seoul National University Hospital with international satellite laboratories currently proposed for England and the United States. The center will be under the direction of Dr. Woo Suk Hwang, who is well known for his team’s scientific contributions to somatic cell nuclear transfer technology. Like the existing United Kingdom Stem Cell Bank, the World Stem Cell Hub aims to bank and supply quality-assured human embryonic stem cell (hESC) lines. Drawing on the expertise of Hwang and his colleagues, the center also aims to work with researchers to generate novel hESC lines with a particular interest in developing disease-specific stem cell lines. For more information: http://www.worldstemcellhub.org (Site is under ongoing construction) For commentary: http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/full/353/16/1645 National Stem Cell Bank (NSCB). The WiCell Research Institute (Madison, Wis., USA) has been selected by the National Institutes of Health to establish the U.S. federal government’s first national stem cell bank for human embryonic stem cells. Funding of the NSCB will allow WiCell to provide further support to the human ES cell research community. Benefits to academic researchers will include a lower cost for obtaining stem cell lines, only $500 for U.S. investigators. A price reduction will also be available to non-U.S. academic institutions, the final details of which are currently being negotiated. For more details read the National Stem Cell Bank Release or go to www.wicell.org. The International HapMap Project. The International HapMap Consortium reported the first phase of the project for developing a haplotype map of the human genome in the Oct. 27, 2005, edition of Nature (See Literature Highlights). The HapMap catalogs the common patterns of human DNA sequence variation, a tool that is hoped will accelerate the identification of genetic factors that influence medical traits. For more details: http://www.hapmap.org
October 1, 2005
LASKER AWARD. This year's Lasker Award for Basic Medical Research was awarded to Ernest McCulloch and James Till for their groundbreaking work on hematopoietic stem cells. ISSCR salutes McCulloch and Till, the true pioneers of stem cell biology. Read more. CALIFORNIA. The University of California at San Francisco has launched the Institute for Stem Cell and Tissue Biology to provide a framework for close collaboration among investigators from the Schools of Dentistry, Medicine, Nursing and Pharmacy, and to expand basic research that ultimately could lead to therapeutic strategies. The institute is directed by Arnold Kriegstein, and co-directed by Rik Derynck. FLORIDA. Florida may join the states financing hESC research and dedicate $200 million over 10 years. Palm Beach County Commissioner Burt Aaronson hopes to get a referendum on a constitutional amendment on the ballot for the November 2006 general election. To accomplish that, supporters will have to gather 611,000 signatures from registered voters by Dec. 31, 2005. MICHIGAN. Sean Morrison will head a new interdisciplinary center for stem cell research that will be based at the University of Michigan’s Life Sciences Institute. The center will be established with $10.5 million in funding provided by the University of Michigan Medical School, the Life Sciences Institute and the Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience Institute. The new center will recruit up to seven faculty members this fall.
September 2, 2005
U.S. LEGISLATION. Two new developments shook up the usual summer torpor and brought the stem cell debate to boiling again. The cloning of the first dog in Korea, revived the gloomy forecast that the United States is losing its lead in cutting edge research. The fusion of hESC with fibroblast rekindled the arguments of those opposed to an expansion of Bush’s policy. The upcoming session of Congress promises to be interesting. NEW JERSEY. The New Jersey Commission on Science and Technology will have grants available to New Jersey researchers (academic, non-profit, collaborating for-profit), and expects to make awards by the end of the year. The program will support the full range of stem cell research (basic and translational), as well as training for researchers and technicians to learn the specific techniques. All funded research must be carried out in New Jersey. More details. ILLINOIS. Gov. Rod Blagojevich authorized $10 million in state grants over the next year for research on stem cells, including hESC, and has extended an invitation to some of Missouri's leading scientific institutions to conduct stem cell research in his state.
September 1, 2005
U.S. LEGISLATION. Two new developments shook up the usual summer torpor and brought the stem cell debate to boiling again. The cloning of the first dog in Korea, revived the gloomy forecast that the United States is losing its lead in cutting edge research. The fusion of hESC with fibroblast rekindled the arguments of those opposed to an expansion of Bush’s policy. The upcoming session of Congress promises to be interesting. NEW JERSEY. The New Jersey Commission on Science and Technology will have grants available to New Jersey researchers (academic, non-profit, collaborating for-profit), and expects to make awards by the end of the year. The program will support the full range of stem cell research (basic and translational), as well as training for researchers and technicians to learn the specific techniques. All funded research must be carried out in New Jersey. More details. ILLINOIS. Gov. Rod Blagojevich authorized $10 million in state grants over the next year for research on stem cells, including hESC, and has extended an invitation to some of Missouri's leading scientific institutions to conduct stem cell research in his state.
August 1, 2005
WASHINGTON. The planned vote in the U.S. Senate on legislation (H.R. 810) that had passed 238-194 in the U.S. House of Representatives on May 24, and would expand federal support for embryonic stem cell research, did not take place as promised before the Congressional recess. Since the passage of the bill in the House, opponents have adroitly confused the issue of hESC research funding by proposing alternative methods to derivation of hESC, and successfully manipulating an anticipated majority into indecision about approving funding of research on the almost 200 cell lines already existing around the world. But, after having objected to the motion to bring H.R. 810 to the floor on Thursday morning, Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist announced in the evening that he now supports H.R. 810. NEW hESC CENTERS. NIH (NIGMS) has funded three additional Exploratory Centers for Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research to address essential questions about human development and cell differentiation. Two centers are in New York City, one in La Jolla, California. In New York City at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine, ISSCR President Gordon Keller will study the growth, differentiation and genetic alteration of human embryonic stem cells, and at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Eric Bouhassira will study growth and differentiation of human embryonic stem cells and analyze genetic networks. At the Burnham Institute in La Jolla, Evan Snyder will study the molecular signals that enable stem cells to self-renew and specialize, develop a novel imaging technology to study the cells in real time, and lead training courses for other scientists.
July 1, 2005
ITALY. On June 13, only 26 percent of voters turned out for the Italian referendum, far below the required 50 percent needed to pass. The referendum would have relaxed Italy’s stringent new law governing fertility treatments and affirming the rights of the human embryo. The law prohibits sperm and egg donation, bans screening embryos for disease and forbids embryo research. WISCONSIN. The Wisconsin Assembly approved 59 to 38 a bill that not only bans reproductive cloning but also outlaws nuclear transfer and usage of NT cell lines created in other states. Gov. Jim Doyle has promised to veto the bill if it passes the state senate. hESC PATENTS IN EUROPE. The European Patent Office has put patent applications involving hESC technology on ice. According to the president of the EPO "there are too many ethical aspects that have not been resolved at the political level.”
June 1, 2005
KOREA, AGAIN. On May 19, 2005, Woo Suk Hwang and his group stunned the world with his report on the derivation of 11 additional nuclear transfer cell lines—this time with high efficiency of on average 16.8 eggs/cell line. More importantly, the cell lines were established from patient DNA donors; all but one unrelated to the egg donors. One cell line was established from a patient with Juvenile Diabetes. See also the accompanying Policy Forum that discusses issues of international collaborations and different ethical standards and legislations, and egg donation: http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/rapidpdf/1114454v1.pdf?bcsi_scan_ U.S. VOTE ON hESC RESEARCH. By a large majority (238 to 194) the U.S. House of Representatives passed the “Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act” introduced by U.S. Reps. Diana DeGette and Mike Castle. The bill would allow the use of federal monies for research on cell lines derived after Bush’s arbitrary August 2001 deadline. Nuclear transfer is not mentioned, and the derivation of new cell lines is not included either. The bill is now on its way to the U.S. Senate. Bush has announced he would veto the bill if the Senate passes it. MASSACHUSETTS. After the Massachusetts Legislature passed new legislation on hESC research it became law immediately. The legislation passed both chambers with the 2/3 majority required to override a veto by Gov. Mitt Romney. The Massachusetts bill doesn't include funding, but Massachusetts Sen. President Robert Travaglini indicated that the Senate may consider dedicating funding in the future. CONNECTICUT. The Connecticut Senate overwhelmingly approved spending $100 million over 10 years to fund stem cell research (including hESC research). The bill now goes to the Connecticut House, where it has the support of the speaker of the house and Republican Gov. M. Jodi Rell.
May 1, 2005
NATIONAL ACADEMIES OF SCIENCE. Last year NAS convened a panel to establish guidelines for hESC research to ensure that human embryonic stem cell research is conducted responsibly and in an ethical manner. The official guidelines were released last week and are available at http://www.nationalacademies.org/morenews/ LICENSE TO CLONE. In April, the Newcastle Upon Tyne team has been given permission to derive nuclear transfer (NT) embryos using donor cells obtained from Type 1 diabetes patients. The ultimate goal is to establish robust protocols for deriving NT stem cell lines that can be subsequently used for studying pathogenesis of Type 1 diabetes. NEW JERSEY. Acting Gov. Richard Codey has committed $150 million in state funds to build a stem cell research center in New Brunswick. Construction is to begin in August. He has also proposed a referendum for the November ballot to determine whether New Jersey should issue bonds to raise $230 million for stem cell research. Under the governor's plan, an ethics panel led by Dr. Harold T. Shapiro (president of Princeton University from 1988-2001) would review grant applications, and a separate panel would be established to review the scientific merit of grant proposals.
April 1, 2005
NIH STEM CELL TASK FORCE. James Battey, director of the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, and chair of the NIH Task Force, is leaving NIH. His support will certainly be missed! In the interim period, Allen Spiegel and Story Landis will serve as Acting Co-Chairs of the Task Force. MASSACHUSETTS. Last week, the Massachusetts Legislature overwhelmingly approved legislation allowing derivation of new hESC lines and nuclear transfer in the state. The bill would remove the current requirement of getting approval from the local district attorney to work with human embryos. If the bill is signed, Massachusetts will be the third U.S. state, along with California and New Jersey, to explicitly allow human nuclear transfer. PULITZER PRIZE. Congratulations to Gareth Cook, journalist at the Boston Globe, who was awarded the Pulitzer Prize (‘Explanatory Reporting’) for his excellent reporting on stem cell research. Gareth’s articles are an example for accurate and unbiased science reporting, and should be emulated by the science reporting field. UNITED NATIONS VOTE. On March 8, 2005, the UN General Assembly adopted a non-binding declaration on human cloning. The text of the declaration does not clearly define terms such as “human cloning”, “human dignity” and “human life” and could be interpreted a number of ways. Read the complete article by Bernard Siegel, J.D., from the Genetics Policy Institute. AUSTRALIA. The three-year moratorium on the use of blastocysts created after April 5, 2002, will expire this week and will not be extended. After the moratorium expires excess blastocysts created in IVF clinics after April 5, 2002, can be used to derive hESC. RNAi CONSORTIUM. A collaboration of U.S. institutes, four companies and a Taiwanese academic consortium is creating a publicly accessible RNA-interference library with tens of thousands of small RNA molecules in lentiviral vectors, covering 30,000 mouse and human genes. More info. PUBLIC OPINION SUPPORTS NUCLEAR TRANSFER. A poll conducted on behalf of the Coalition for the Advancement of Medical Research (CAMR) reveals that a comfortable majority (72 percent) of the public is in favor of nuclear transfer for deriving embryonic stem cell lines. For more details.
March 1, 2005
PLoS MEDICINE. A new addition to the open access line of the Public Library of Science. The first issue is at: http://medicine.plosjournals.org/perlserv/?request=get-toc&issn=1549 NATIONAL ACADEMIES OF SCIENCES. On Oct. 12-13, NAS held a workshop, Guidelines for Human Embryonic Stem Cells, to discuss what should be included in voluntary guidelines for private researchers working with human embryos. Listen to the audio tapes. UNITED NATIONS VOTE ON CLONING. Last month, the Legal Committee of the General Assembly of the United Nations reconvened to vote on a ban on human reproductive cloning. The vote was again postponed, until at least after the U.S. elections. But it seems that support for a total ban, including nuclear transfer, is eroding. The United Kingdom ambassador to the UN stated that the U.K. would not sign a convention calling for a total ban. HARVARD. Harvard researchers announced that they are seeking IRB approval for nuclear transfer experiments to create cell lines for research into diabetes, Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease.
2004
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October 5, 2004
SINGAPORE . In September, Singapore passed new legislation regulating human cloning. The new law prohibits human reproductive cloning and development of cloned embryos past two weeks. But it does not prohibit harvesting of stem cells from the cloned embryos. GERMANY . Germany 's Federal Bioethics Council urged the government to maintain the moratorium on all forms of cloning, including nuclear transfer. Research cloning could be justified in the future, if advances make it more likely to produce treatments. EUROPE . The European Patent Office (EPO) has recently rejected two applications involving human ES cells and limited a third, arguing that they would violate the European Patent Convention prohibiting commercial use of human embryos. This stands in contrast to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), which granted dozens of patents involving cells derived from human embryos, including the 1998 patent application of the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation, which the EPO has rejected.
September 8, 2004
STORMY FALL IN PERSPECTIVE. End of October 2004, the United Nations General Assembly will take action on a proposal to ban nuclear transfer. Several groups are starting to mobilize. The "Founding Session of the First World Congress for Freedom of Scientific Research" will convene in Rome, Oct. 9-10, 2004, to set an agenda and take steps toward a common action against the perceived growing anti-scientific movement. You are all invited to participate. For more information. The InterAcademy Panel (IAP), an umbrella body for national science academies, has again asked its member organizations to send a statement to appropriate officials saying that policy on nuclear transfer for research or therapeutic purposes should be left to individual countries (More info). Britain's Royal Society backed the call and states that if a convention is passed banning nuclear transfer, the United Kingdom will not sign it. ONE MORE LINE. The NIH registry has added one additional cell line to its inventory, now boasting 22 hESC lines. ISSCR ENDORSED PROPOSITION 71. On Aug. 25, ISSCR officially endorsed the California Stem Cell Research and Cures Initiative, or Proposition 71, on the November ballot. For the complete statement, click here. If you want to take a more proactive role, go to http://www.yeson71.com/.
August 3, 2004
U.S.NATIONAL EMBRYONIC STEM CELL BANK. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson announced plans for an embryonic stem cell bank. The bank of NIH-approved lines is supposed to lower costs from around $5,000 per order, to a few hundred dollars. Private companies sell the majority of the NIH-approved cell lines. MORE hESC. Two additional lines now available from Cellartis AB in Sweden bring the number of NIH-approved cell lines up to a whopping 21 cell lines. Last month, Spanish researchers announced the derivation of the country's first human embryonic stem cell lines. The two new Spanish lines, VAL-1 and VAL-2, will join the UK Stem Cell Bank and will be available to researchers worldwide. MEXICO . The Mexican parliament has finally approved the creation of the National Institute of Genomic Medicine, which will not be barred from using human embryonic cells or from performing nuclear transfer for research purposes. FRANCE . Beginning of July, the French parliament passed legislation that allows nuclear transfer but bans reproductive cloning. CATHOLICS SUPPORT hESC RESEARCH . A poll of 2,239 Catholics released on July 13, 2004 by a prominent Washington, D.C. polling firm shows 72 percent support research with cells obtained from very early embryos, including Bush supporters and conservative Catholics. Those who indicated they strongly support this research outnumbered those strongly opposed with 34 percent to 12 percent. STEM CELL politica, OR THE NEW CANDIDATE. A long time ago, there was the unknown stem cell S.C. vulgaris. It evolved through the years and reached public awareness, becoming S.C. publica. Soon it was everywhere. No day would go by without someone reporting on it. Everybody wanted it, even the politicians. So, the little stem cell was pushed to morph into S.C politica. Swiftly, the politicians incorporated S.C. politica into the presidential campaign of the United States. Will S.C. politica soon become a candidate? Read Ron Reagan’s great speech on behalf of that little cell at: http://www.yeson71.com/news_clip_0727_reagan.php
July 7, 2004
Letter(s) to the White House, the Sequel. Hollywood had predicted it would be the summer of sequels.Picking up this new Hollywood summer trend, letters to the White House followed one another. The trend started with a letter from the U.S. Congress, signed by a majority of congressmen, including Republicans, urging President Bush to loosen his restrictive human embryonic stem cell funding policy. Shortly thereafter, on June 4, a similar letter was sent by the U.S. Senate, again signed by a majority (58) of senators , including 14 Republicans. On June 21, ISSCR sent a letter to President Bush, based on the most current scientific data and ethical considerations, supporting increased funding for ALL types of human stem cells, including newly derived embryonic stem cell lines, the derivation of new stem cell lines by nuclear transfer, appropriate regulation developed by scientists and regulators working together, and the prohibition of reproductive cloning. The ISSCR letter was followed on June 23 by a letter from the Coalition for Advancement of Medical Research (CAMR), a coalition of nationally recognized universities, scientific societies, foundations and patient organizations. The CAMR letter was signed by 142 organizations. Will there be more letters? CALIFORNIA. The California Stem Cell Research and Cures Initiative has been officially qualified for placement on the Nov. 2, 2004, general election ballot. Supporters submitted 1.1 million signatures, nearly double the number required for certification. The initiative would raise almost $3 billion over 10 years, in the hope of establishing long-term funding for research. The funds will establish the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) to oversee and facilitate research grants. For more information, see http://www.curesforcalifornia.com/site/PageServer. NIH Stem Cell Funding Figures. Before President Bush's Aug. 9, 2001, announcement, no NIH funds were used in supporting human embryonic stem cell research. In fiscal year (FY) 2000, $147 million and in FY 2001, $152 million funded all non-embryonic stem cell research. In FY 2002 things changed, with $10.7 million for hESC research and $170.9 million for non-embryonic human stem cell research . In FY 2003 the budget for hESC research was more than doubled to$24.8 million and non-embryonic stem cell research funding increased to $190.7 million. NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE. A group at Newcastle University has filed an application to carry out the first human cloning experiment in the United Kingdom. Nuclear transfer with human materials was made legal in the UK by an amendment to the Human Embryology Act. The application by the Newcastle team is currently under review at the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA). The team plans to use the nuclear transfer stem cell lines as a potential source for insulin-producing cells. CAMBRIDGE. In the meantime, the Cambridge University is opening a center for human embryonic stem cell research. The Juvenile Diabetes Foundation and other charities, as well as government funds back the $30 million Stem Cell Institute. The center will initially target juvenile diabetes and Parkinson's disease.
June 1, 2004
FIRST HUMAN ES CELL BANK OPENS. The first human embryonic stem cell bank has opened in Britain, hosted by the National Institute for Biological Standards and Control in Hertfordshire, with the banking of two cell lines derived in the UK, one in Newcastle Upon Tyne and one in London. More cell lines will hopefully follow soon. The bank is funded by the Medical Research Council (MRC) and the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council. THE INTERNATIONAL STEM CELL FORUM (ISCF). ICSF has launched its new Web site: www.stemcellforum.org. ISCF was founded last year by nine international funding agencies to promote international collaboration and funding support for stem cell research, and now counts 14 members. The Web site is developing a stem cell line registry and other resources. LETTER TO WHITE HOUSE: THE RESPONSE. Last month, 206 members of the U.S. Congress submitted a letter to President Bush urging him to relax his current federal funding policy for embryonic stem cell research. Shortly thereafter, Dr. Zerhouni, director of NIH, responded to the letter. Dr. Zerhouni’s letter details NIH current funding of embryonic stem cell research and points out that President Bush’s policy opened up federal funding for research on the eligible lines. Read the entire letter. UNITED NATIONS. On June 2, the Genetics Policy Institute is hosting a conference with leading stem cell scientists to address UN delegates in an effort to ensure that in the upcoming debate about a worldwide ban on human cloning, UN delegates can make informed choices. Presenters include prominent scientists from all over the world, including the two lead authors of the human nuclear transfer experiments in Korea, and several ISSCR board members. For a full list of speakers and co-sponsoring groups, read the press release.
May 4, 2004
NEW POLL ON STEM CELL VIEWS. A new poll of voters in 18 U.S. states conducted by the Civil Society Institute showed a 53 percent approval rate for human embryonic stem cell research. Eighty-six percent of those polled reported having a family member or close friend who could potentially benefit from stem cell research and 65 percent favor expanding federal funding for cell lines derived after August 2001. More details. LETTER TO THE WHITE HOUSE. On April 28 a bipartisan group of 206 members of the U.S. Congress submitted a letter to President Bush urging him to relax the restrictions in the current policy on U.S. federal funding for human embryonic stem cell research. Read ISSCR's press release on this topic. HARVARD STEM CELL INSTITUTE. On April 23 Harvard University officially launched its new stem cell initiative, the Harvard Stem Cell Institute (HSCI), co-directed by ISSCR members Douglas Melton and David Scadden. The HSCI will draw on the resources of Harvard, including the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Harvard Medical School, Public School of Health, Law School, Business School, JFK School of Government and the Harvard Divinity School, as well as on its affiliated teaching hospitals. The new institute has no walls yet, but will raise money for a future building. In the meantime, stem cell researchers in the Boston area will be brought together through seminars and events. Read more about the HSCI.
April 6, 2004
ISSCR MEMBER DIRECTORY. Please take a few minutes to verify your contact information, particularly the e-mail, posted in the member directory on the ISSCR Web site. The directory is a great resource for networking. It can be searched by name, location, specialty, area of interest and institute.
TOPIC OF THE MONTH. The topic for March: "Nuclear transfer (nt)ES cells: A first step towards therapy?" has been posted. For paper-version aficionados, we replaced the printer-friendly versions by a PDF format. The topic for April on stem cell plasticity will be posted shortly.
March 1, 2004
17 NEW HUMAN EMBRYONIC STEM CELL LINES. Today, the New England Journal of Medicine released Dr. Melton's report on the derivation of 17 new HESC lines, which will be published in the March 25 issue, accompanied by a Perspective by Dr. John Gearhart. The lines are made available by Dr. Melton's laboratory to investigators, under a material transfer agreement. For more information go to: CALIFORNIA HESC BALLOT INITIATIVE. Patient advocates and scientists are launching a ballot initiative for a $3 billion bond proposition for November 2004 to fund embryonic stem cell research in the state. The new measure would make available $295 million annually, over 10 years. For comparison, in FY2002, the NIH awarded a total of $10,689,000 for human embryonic stem cell research, and $170,745,000 for adult stem cells. Currently, campaign organizers are trying to gather the 600,000 signatures necessary to qualify for the November ballot. NEW JERSEY. In his budget address on Feb. 24, Gov. James E. McGreevey's announced that he included funds to establish the New Jersey Stem Cell Research Institute, in New Brunswick. The new institute will be jointly run by Rutgers University, the state University of New Jersey and the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey. A public-private partnership will be created to oversee the development of this institute.
February 4, 2004
KEYSTONE STEM CELL MEETING. Stem cell researchers met Jan. 23-28 at Keystone in Colorado for skiing and to discuss stem cells. The program was outstanding. For those of you who could not attend we will soon post some highlights on the ISSCR home page. NEW JERSEY. New Jersey has adopted stem cell legislation similar to California's, allowing the creation of new HESC lines for the purpose of research and allows the donation of unused embryos from IVF clinics. However, the bill provided no funding.
January 20, 2004
INTERVIEW WITH NIH DIRECTOR. On Jan. 8, Dr. Fitzhugh Mullan interviewed NIH Director Dr. Elias Zerhouni on the roadmap for the National Institutes of Health, the role of politics in research, global health issues and other topics. The full text of the interview is posted at NEW JERSEY. New Jersey has adopted stem cell legislation similar to California's, allowing the creation of new HESC lines for the purpose of research and allows the donation of unused embryos from IVF clinics. However, the bill provided no funding.
January 6, 2004
NEW HESC LINE AVAILABLE. A new human embryonic cell line (H14) is available for shipping by WiCell, increasing the number of NIH-approved cell lines to 15. Several additional lines will be available soon; the next one is expected later this month. For detailed information on the new H14 line and other HESC lines, see the NIH Web site. NIH SUPPORT IN 2002/2003. In fiscal years 2002 and 2003, the NIH awarded nine infrastructure awards, 27 investigator-initiated awards, 88 administrative supplements, two pilot and feasibility project grants, three exploratory center research grants, three postdoctoral fellowships, six training grants and five short-term cell culture research grants. In fiscal year 2002 alone, the NIH awarded grants totaling $170,745,000 for human adult stem cell research and $10,689,000 for HESC research. Growth in both of these research areas will be promoted in the future. At NIH, intramural research on HESC is ongoing in nine laboratories and an intramural research program has been created to thoroughly characterize the existing approved HESC lines. Results will be posted on the NIH Stem Cell Task Force Web site. FRANCE. The lower house of parliament approved draft legislation that would make reproductive cloning of human cells a crime against humanity. The legislation would also ban SCNT for therapeutic use. A vote on this bill is scheduled in the upper house in February. If it passes, final legislation will be adopted in 2004.
2003
January | February | March | April | May | June | July | August | September | October | November | December
December 23, 2003
UN DEBATE ON CLONING. After the Legal Committee of the United Nations had postponed drafting cloning ban legislation until 2005, proponents of a total ban on human cloning tried to revive the issue during the UN General Assembly meeting Dec 9. The General Assembly however decided to postpone the negotiations for one year.
December 9, 2003
THE LANCET. In its issue of Nov. 29, Lancet calls for papers in order to encourage the debate surrounding therapeutic cloning. The papers can be primary research papers on all types of stem cells as well as "papers that shed new light on the wider implications of such research for public health and ethics." This special stem cell issue is planned for mid-2004. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE. In its Dec. 1 issue, JEM calls for papers on research on human subjects, in areas such as infection, hematopoiesis, malignancy, autoimmunity and allergy. Priority will be given to papers providing new mechanistic insights, but studies involving small numbers of subjects will also be considered, if they are of high quality and importance. EUROPE. After the European Parliament approved allowing ES cell research funding by the 6th Framework Programme, the final vote was with the Council of Ministers, scheduled to vote last week. This vote was however delayed due to deep divisions, and it is not clear at this point what is going to happen after the moratorium ends on Dec. 13, 2003.
November 25, 2003
UNITED STATES. A report from the Hastings Center, an independent, nonpartisan, and nonprofit bioethics research institute, Reprogenetics and Public Policy: Reflections and Recommendations, urges the U.S. Congress to adopt comprehensive regulation for monitoring the safety of these new technologies and ensuring their benefits to society. Reprogenetics is the field of research and applications that involves the creation, use, manipulation or storage of gametes or embryos. The report makes three key recommendations:
For details and the full report, go to: http://www.thehastingscenter.org/news/features/repoversight.htm. JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY. A panel of experts consisting of scientists (including three ISSCR members), philosophers, ethicists and lawyers concluded that it would be unethical and risky to use the NIH-approved HESC lines for clinical trials due to risk of cross-contamination by murine viruses, as these cell lines were grown on murine feeder layers. Moreover, the HLA diversity of only 12 cell lines is likely to be inadequate to treat large numbers of patients. According to the panel's calculations, 71 percent of the white American population would be covered by 40 cell lines, while the same number of cell lines would cover only 45 percent of the African-American population, which has a higher HLA polymorphism. The panel concluded unanimously that a "bank" should be established, with cell lines that would reflect most Americans. For details, go to: http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/Press_releases/2003/11_10_03.html.
November 11, 2003
EUROPEAN UNION. On Tuesday, Nov. 4, two committees of the European Parliament voted in favor of human embryonic stem cell research. Proposed amendments seeking to ban human ES cell research were defeated. The EU Industry Committee voted to allow the research to be financed from the EU’s Sixth Framework Program budget. UNITED NATIONS VOTE ON CLONING POSTPONED. On Thursday, Nov. 6, the UN General Assembly's legal committee adopted--by a vote of 80 to 79 votes with 15 abstentions--a motion to defer drafting a ban on human cloning until 2005. The delay was proposed by Iran on behalf of the 57-nation Organization of the Islamic Conference. The American Society for Cell Biology (ASCB) and ISSCR released statements opposing the resolution before the UN General Assembly that would have led to a worldwide ban on human cloning, including somatic cell nuclear transfer. Read the full ISSCR statement on the proposed UN cloning ban. CANADA. Canada’s House of Commons passed a bill banning human cloning and setting guidelines on stem cell research. The bill is now in the Canadian Senate. The bill would prohibit human cloning and the creation of human-animal hybrids, ban purchasing human sperm, eggs and embryos, paying surrogate mothers, sex identification in embryos, except for medical reasons, and restrict research to embryos left from IVF. SPAIN. The Spanish parliament approved a law to create a national bank to manage and store cell lines from embryos remaining from fertility treatments. The cell lines would be supplied to authorized researchers.
October 28, 2003
HUMAN CLONING IN CHINA. On Oct. 1, the Chinese government passed a sweeping new directive aimed at regulating uncontrolled reproductive medicine in China. The directive contains a blanket ban on human cloning, new controls on genetic experimentation for fertility purposes and outlaws for-profit trading in human eggs and sperm. Implementation of these new, potentially stifling regulations are still unclear, particularly as two weeks later an American and Chinese team announced the first human pregnancy by nuclear transfer in China. The pregnancy was created with embryos stemming from young enucleated donor eggs that were transferred with DNA from an in vitro fertilized oocyte, containing the genome of both parents. This approach was attempted to remediate to the problem of aging eggs. After an initial successful pregnancy, the last of triplets died after 29 weeks of gestation. Upon analysis, no genetic defects or problems have thus far been detected in the fetuses. MADISON. James Thomson, ISSCR board member, joins rank with Tony Fauci and others in receiving this year’s Frank Annunzio Award from the Christopher Columbus Fellowship Foundation, an independent federal government agency established by Congress in 1992 to encourage and support research, scholarship and efforts leading to discoveries that could benefit society. The award recognizes the innovative work or research of Americans for improving the world through ingenuity and innovation.
October 14, 2003
JUST LAUNCHED: PLoS BIOLOGY, THE FIRST OPEN-ACCESS JOURNAL FROM THE PUBLIC LIBRARY OF SCIENCE. PLoS Biology publishes peer-reviewed articles and commentary from all areas of the life sciences. Its first issue deals with everything from elephants to bacteria. If you have an Internet connection, you can read, download and share the full text of all PLoS Biology articles (www.plosbiology.org) at no charge. A print subscription is available for the cost of printing and mailing. Open-access advocates welcome this new venue and hope that the idea will spread to other journals. The Wellcome Trust has pledged its support for open-access journals and will endorse the use of its research grants to pay the fees that will be incurred by scientists publishing in open-access journals. NIH and Howard Hughes Medical Institute have also agreed to do so. PloS will launch additional titles in the future, including PloS Medicine in 2004. We’ll be watching out for stem cell papers in upcoming issues. CALIFORNIA. California has enacted a new law to enable patients to donate their spare embryos anonymously to research and have them added to a state registry, rather than have the embryos destroyed. In addition, a 13-member advisory committee has been formed by the state Department of Health Services, under outgoing Gov. Gray Davis, to develop guidelines for stem cell research by Jan. 1, 2005. The panel consists of scientists, ethicists, legal experts and representatives of religious groups and includes no fewer than four ISSCR members. NEW STEM CELL CENTERS POPPING UP EVERYWHERE. Thanks to generous NIH funding, the new Center of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine will emerge in the near future in Scarborough, Maine. This will add to the existing stem cell research at Jackson Laboratory in Bar Harbor, Maine, and the Mount Desert Island Biological Laboratory in Salisbury Cove, Maine. Recognizing the critical need to increase the scientific workforce in this important area of biomedical research, the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) is funding three exploratory centers for human embryonic stem cell research. The grants go to the University of Washington, Seattle/Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, University of Michigan Medical School in Ann Arbor, Mich., and WiCell Research Institute in Madison, Wis. In Ohio, thanks to generous state funding, the Cleveland Clinic will add a new building, attached to the Lerner Research Institute, to expand its existing genetic and stem cell research programs. The new center will house on one-two floors the new department of cell biology and regenerative medicine. UNITED NATION CLONING BAN. During a weeklong meeting a U.N. General Assembly working group debated whether to pass a global ban on all forms of human cloning, as promoted by the United States or to ban only reproductive cloning worldwide, leaving the regulation of therapeutic cloning to individual countries. After ending in a deadlock, a final decision on the next steps will be up to the General Assembly’s legal committee.
September 30, 2003
NIDDK STEM CELL GENOME ANATOMY PROJECTS (scGAP). On Sept. 14-16, the scGAP consortium held a retreat and formulated plans for the coming year to develop informatics tools that will integrate gene expression data from all seven sites and a catalog listing that will facilitate distribution of reagents and other resources. The aims of this consortium, which was funded in 2002 by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), are to develop collectively the necessary biological procedures and reagents for the characterization of tissue specific progenitor cells and to characterize gene expression patterns in these cells using advanced technologies and bioinformatic techniques. The consortium is committed to making these data and resources available to the research community-at-large in order to advance this important area of research. The scGAP consortium is composed of seven groups, each focusing on one or more specific cell types, including liver, bone, prostate, kidney, hematopoietic and intestinal progenitor cells. More details about the scGAPs are available at www.scgap.org. The Web site is under development; the consortium plans to have data and resources available on the site in time for ISSCR's 2nd Annual Meeting. FASTEST U.S. COMPUTER. The fastest unclassified computer in the United States was brought online at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) in Richland, Washington. Projects that fit into PNNL's missions are eligible. They might be interested in your genomics or proteonomics project. Their Web site is http://www.pnl.gov. INTERNATIONAL BAN ON REPRODUCTIVE CLONING. Sixty-three national scientific academies have signed a statement that will be presented to the United Nations Committee on Cloning when it meets in New York Sept. 29-Oct. 3. The statement calls for a worldwide ban on human reproductive cloning while strongly supporting therapeutic cloning. For more details, including who signed the statement, see the press release issued by the Interacademy Panel on International Issues at http://www.isscr.org/newsletters/volume2/iap.pdf.
September 16, 2003
President’s Council on Bioethics. The Council met on Sept. 4-5 to discuss stem cells, the administration’s funding policy, the role of NIH, FDA and nongovernmental activity in moving research from the bench toward the bedside. Testimony was given by Elias A. Zerhouni, director of the NIH, and Mark B. McClellan, commissioner of the FDA, as well as by Thomas Okarma, president and CE of Geron Corp., William Pursley, president and CEO of Osiris Therapeutics, Inc., Theo Palmer from the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research, and Robert Goldstein from the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation International. According to Zerhouni’s testimony, there are several additional human ES cells that would fall within the president’s authorized guidelines and that were not grown on feeder layers. These cells could thus potentially be used for therapeutic purposes. Full transcripts to the different sessions are at http://www.bioethics.gov/transcripts/sep03/sep4.html.
August 19, 2003
Brno, Czech Republic. Czech scientists have derived three human ES cell lines from spare frozen IVF embryos. In absence of any law governing human ES cell research in the Czech Republic, the embryos were obtained with informed consent from the donor couples. Italy. The first horse has been cloned. The cloned embryo was implanted into the nuclear donor, and the cloning was relatively efficient (see Literature Highlights). London. A team at King's College in London has derived the first human embryonic cell line in Britain. The cell line was derived from donated spare embryos resulting from pre-implantation genetic diagnostic. The line will be deposited in the new stem cell bank administered by the MRC (Medical Research Council). United States. According to a May 2003 Gallup poll, 54percent of Americans, including 38 percent of abortion opponents, believe research using human embryonic stem cells is morally acceptable, against only 38 percent of Americans who believe it is wrong (Gallup Poll, May 2003). But the stem cell research debate continues. A report released by Congressman Henry Waxman (D-CA) accuses the Bush Administration of interfering with US science (Nature, Aug 14 2003, http://www.house.gov/reform/min/politicsandscience/). To date, 71 bills regulating embryonic stem cell research have been introduced in the different states, of which 46 (65 percent) aim to prohibit ES cell research. A few states-including Louisiana, Michigan and South Dakota--have already passed legislation prohibiting research on embryos, while Arkansas, Iowa and North Dakota prohibit the use of cloned embryos for research. In contrast, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont and Washington have introduced legislation emulating California's law that explicitly allows researchers to derive ES cell lines and to clone embryos with private and/or state funding.
August 5, 2003
Boston. The New England Journal of Medicine has pledged to seek out and publish highly meritorious manuscripts on research with human ES cells, as well as future reports on treatments derived from this technology, to promote rapid progress within the United States. Germany. According to a Deutsche Forschungsgemeinshaft (DFG) commissioned legal opinion, German university professors may be committing a criminal offense if they derive human ES cell lines themselves in Germany or abroad, collaborate with someone who does, or even if they sit on the advisory board of an international company, or advise on the funding of projects involving the derivation of new ES cell lines. New Information Gateway. Thirty-seven German libraries, research centers and information institutions will establish an interdisciplinary Internet portal. The site, www.vascoda.de, will launch in early August and will contain an enormous collection of scientific literature and information, all checked for quality. Most of the content will be available at no charge, but some publications will be on a "pay-per-view" basis. Spain. Predominantly Catholic Spain has authorized embryonic stem cell research on supernumerary embryos from IVF, with the parents’ consent. The Spanish Health Ministry estimated tens of thousands of frozen embryos are in IVF clinics in Spain. Stockholm. A recently published analysis by Bjuresten and Hovatta reports that 92 percent of couples who underwent IVF in 2001-2002 at the IVF clinic at Huddinge University Hospital gave informed consent to donate their supernumerary embryos to research for establishing and characterization of embryonic stem cell lines.
July 24, 2003
London. On May 30 and July 12, representatives of Australia, Canada, Finland, France, Germany, Israel, Japan, the Netherlands, Singapore, Sweden, the UK, the United States, and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) convened under the auspices of the International Stem Cell Forum, chaired by the British MRC, to discuss coordination and implementation of an international characterization and banking effort of human stem cells. Discussion topics included where to physically bank the cells, to establish standards for pluripotency in human, to establish standard protocols and reagents, to identify specific markers for specific stages of development, to monitor genetic stability, geno- and phenotyping of the cell lines, to delineate affordable sources for antibodies for large scale FACS of stem cells, to determine growth requirements and to develop standardized culture media avoid feeder layers, and to establish public data bases. The project will be coordinated by Professor Peter Andrews at the Centre for Stem Cell Biology at the University of Sheffield, working with scientific representatives from the Forum countries. European Union. On July 9, the European Commission adopted a proposal allowing EU funding for ES cells research in countries where it is not banned. However, only embryos donated before June 27, 2002, can be used for research. More information is available at http://www.euractiv.com. New Orleans. The NIH (NCRR) has awarded a grant of $4.3 million to Tulane University to establish a center for the preparation, quality testing and distribution of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) derived from human or rat adult bone marrow for worldwide distribution. The new center also will derive MSCs from bone marrow preparations provided by individual outside laboratories. NIH. ISSCR member Ron McKay will head the NIH's new Stem Cell Characterization Unit that will compare and characterize the human ES cell lines listed on the NIH registry.
July 1, 2003
Chicago: At its annual meeting, the American Medical Association (AMA) officially endorsed cloning for the purpose of research and production of embryonic stem cells. AMA took a deliberate stance for therapeutic cloning, under appropriate oversight and monitoring, but opposes reproductive cloning. Maryland: ISSCR Board Member Dr. John Gearhart of Johns Hopkins released his long-awaited study of embryonic germ cell transplantation in rats with ALS in the Journal of Neuroscience in June. http://www.jneurosci.org Michigan: New legislation would make import of human ES cells that have been extracted from destroyed embryos illegal for state researchers. New Jersey: New legislation has been introduced, that similar to California, would permit derivation and use of human ES cells. Ohio: A state grant in the amount of $8.6 million for the new Center for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine has been awarded to Case Western Reserve University, the Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Ohio State University, University Hospitals of Cleveland and the biotech company Athersys Inc., to foster translational research with adult and neonatal stem cells. Japan: A group at Kyoto University has announced the establishment of the first human ES cell line in Japan. The cells will be available in Fall. Pennsylvania: New legislation would permit derivation and use of human ES cells, after informed consent and review by the Department of Health.
Updated: September 21, 2007 |
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Shanghai, China. More than 500 scientists gathered in Shanghai for the 2007 Shanghai International Symposium on Stem Cell Research, jointly organized by the ISSCR and the Shanghai Institutes of Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences and other research institutes in China. Look out for the upcoming meeting review in the ISSCR pages in the January issue of Cell Stem Cell.  |