Why Grassroots Advocates Must Maintain Vigil for Political Chicanery

April 11th, 2009 by Admin

Senator Steve Ogden will try anything to shut down embryonic research in Texas!

Target of the group’s suspicions is Senate Finance Committee Chairman Steve Ogden, R-Bryan. Last month, with only hours’ notice to colleagues, Ogden guided through his committee a budget provision prohibiting use of state budget funds on research that involves destruction of human embryos.

Ogden has also authored SB 1695, a bill that goes even further. It bars embryonic stem cell research in any state-supported facilities – even if scientists tap only federal and private grants for salaries and expenses.

“That would pretty much shut her down in Texas,“ Ogden said Thursday, after a five-hour committee hearing.

Will Newly Developed Skin-Derived Stem Cells Obviate Need For Embryonic Stem Cells?

April 11th, 2009 by Admin

Two Separate Studies Suggest Startling Possibilities

Taking two different approaches but coming up with similar results, researchers in Wisconsin and Japan have used human skin to derive cells with properties remarkably similar to those of embryonic stem cells, the gold standard of stem cell-based regenerative medicine.

The Wisconsin research team genetically reprogrammed human skin cells to create cells indistinguishable from embryonic stem cells.

In Japan, scientists used a chemical cocktail comprising only four ingredients to transform adult human skin cells into cells that resemble, but are not identical to, embryonic stem cells.

Breakthrough, Embryonic stem cell, STEM CELL NEWS, Stem Cell Research

Houston Chronicle Editorial – Stealth legislating

April 10th, 2009 by Admin

By injecting an amendment into the Texas Senate budget bill to ban state funding for stem cell research that involves the destruction of a human embryo, Finance Committee Chairman Steve Ogden, R-Bryan, has provided a textbook example of how powerful elected officials can end-run democratic processes to suit their own ideological agendas.
Passed with scant discussion by Ogden’s committee 6-5, the budget bill includes a rider that if allowed to become law, will inflict serious damage to efforts to boost regenerative medicine research in Texas, particularly at state institutions, including the University of Texas

Editorials and Opinion, Legislation - Texas, STEM CELL NEWS

Press Conference with First Person to Isolate Embryonic Stem Cell

April 10th, 2009 by Admin

James Thompson, iPS pioneer explains what discovery means for the future

University of Wisconsin-Madison scientist James Thomson announced a groundbreaking discovery in November of 2007. Ordinary adult skin cells had been reprogrammed to resemble embryonic stem cells. The new cells are called Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells. What does it mean for the future of Stem Cell research.

STEM CELL NEWS