Stemcell Breatkthrough

[Jeff Lebowski]

This is incredible news:

http://www.cnn.com/2008/HEALTH/11/19...ant/index.html

[RobinFinderson]

Congrats to England/Europe on this amazing breakthrough! Eight years of state support for stem-cell research seems to have given other countries a HUGE head start over the US in this field which has the potential to (both economic and scientific) to change the world as much or more than the internet information revolution.

Thanks to George Bush, US researchers are going to be chasing other countries instead of trail blazing in this game changing field.

[Babs]

Congrats to England/Europe on this amazing breakthrough! Eight years of state support for stem-cell research seems to have given other countries a HUGE head start over the US in this field which has the potential to (both economic and scientific) to change the world as much or more than the internet information revolution.

Thanks to George Bush, US researchers are going to be chasing other countries instead of trail blazing in this game changing field.

This breakthrough was the result of work with adult stem cells. I may be mistaken (Sooner, help me out here), but last I knew US policy only restricted use of government funding for embryonic stem cell research. Adult stem cell research is still sanctioned and funded.

That's not to say that the U.S. isn't falling behind in embryonic stem cell research, but this woman's case is not indicative of that possibility.

[RobinFinderson]

This breakthrough was the result of work with adult stem cells. I may be mistaken (Sooner, help me out here), but last I knew US policy only restricted use of government funding for embryonic stem cell research. Adult stem cell research is still sanctioned and funded.

That's not to say that the U.S. isn't falling behind in embryonic stem cell research, but this woman's case is not indicative of that possibility.

When scientists and science institutions are looking to set up a research shop, they have choices:

US Pitch: Come study stem cells here, where the government is cutting research funding in general, and if your adult stem cell research might benefit from parallel embryonic stem cell research, you won't get any government funding.

vs.

Europe/Asia Pitch: We believe that stem cell research of all kinds holds the keys to the next round of medical breakthroughs, and our governments are putting their money into it.

So why would someone set up shop in the US if they thought there would be even a remote chance that their work might eventually benefit from embryonic stem cell research?

I'm sure there are other factors that would contribute to a company choosing a US lab setup, but it would seem to me that our legal climate has given up a huge advantage to other countries.

[ERCougar]

Just a crazy out-there thought I've had occasionally...
Do you ever think that some of these religious promises--specifically, resurrection and immortality--might just come through scientific advances?

[ERCougar]

When scientists and science institutions are looking to set up a research shop, they have choices:

US Pitch: Come study stem cells here, where the government is cutting research funding in general, and if your adult stem cell research might benefit from parallel embryonic stem cell research, you won't get any government funding.

vs.

Europe/Asia Pitch: We believe that stem cell research of all kinds holds the keys to the next round of medical breakthroughs, and our governments are putting their money into it.

So why would someone set up shop in the US if they thought there would be even a remote chance that their work might eventually benefit from embryonic stem cell research?

I'm sure there are other factors that would contribute to a company choosing a US lab setup, but it would seem to me that our legal climate has given up a huge advantage to other countries.

I'm not sure how much of an impact this really has. After all, scientists are just like other people--absent huge economic differences, they'd rather just stay home.

You may be right though. If so, another draw to Europe is the lack of regulation for all kinds of medical technology. Even non-controversial advances take a lot longer to get cleared for human trial here than they do in Europe.

Like every other ill in our society, I blame it on attorneys and the tort system.

[Babs]

Just a crazy out-there thought I've had occasionally...
Do you ever think that some of these religious promises--specifically, resurrection and immortality--might just come through scientific advances?

This is the thinking among some progressive protestant denominations. That we, in effect, will bring about God's kingdom on earth. Frankly, that seems like a rather generous view of humanity, but who am I to say?

[Brian]

I'm not sure how much of an impact this really has. After all, scientists are just like other people--absent huge economic differences, they'd rather just stay home.

You may be right though. If so, another draw to Europe is the lack of regulation for all kinds of medical technology. Even non-controversial advances take a lot longer to get cleared for human trial here than they do in Europe.

Like every other ill in our society, I blame it on attorneys and the tort system.

True, some scientsts are like that, they'd rather stay home. But some of the more passionate want to be were the action is.
Particle physicsts are flocking to Europe where the LHC (Large Hadron Collider) is located.
We had a shot at this in Texas, but .......

Along with these big research centers you a steady stream of bright grad students, post-docs being trained and well paid scientists relocating. Not to mention spin off companies, a lot of grant money that is spent on people/infrastructure/building/etc.

[SCcoug]

Just a crazy out-there thought I've had occasionally...
Do you ever think that some of these religious promises--specifically, resurrection and immortality--might just come through scientific advances?

The website of the Mormon Transhumanist Association.
http://transfigurism.org/community/

From their about us:
The Mormon Transhumanist Association promotes practical faith in human exaltation through charitable use of science and technology.

[RobinFinderson]

Like every other ill in our society, I blame it on attorneys and the tort system.

Lucky you! I blame Bush for everything. What am I going to do now? (I'm still going to blame him for everything bad for at least one more year, but after that I am SOL).

[falafel]

New discovery in stem cell research apparently allows stem cells to be created by any ordinary cell by giving it an acid bath. The acid stresses out the cell, which causes it to return to a stem cell state to repair itself. Its also 5 to 10 times faster to generate them than other methods (i.e. embryos, DNA programming).

http://www.cnn.com/2014/01/29/health...ell-discovery/

http://www.nature.com/news/acid-bath...-cells-1.14600