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Category Archives: Stem Cell Therapy
DOH gives health facilities engaged in stem cell therapy until Aug. 31 to register
Posted: August 13, 2013 at 2:41 pm
By: Jet Villa, InterAksyon.com August 13, 2013 8:42 AM
InterAksyon.com The online news portal of TV5
MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Health (DOH) has given all health facilities practicing stem cell therapy and companies importing and producing stem cell products untilAug. 31to apply for accreditation and product registration, respectively.
Nick Lutero, director of the DOH-Bureau of Health Facilities and Services, said it will be considered illegal for facilities to do stem cell procedures if they fail to comply with the requirement.
Papatigil namin ang pag-conduct ng therapy. For those still continuing to practice, I think we have sufficient laws, particularly on the illegal practice of medicine. They could be criminally liable, he said in a chance interview.
Lutero lamented that only five hospitals have applied for registration although the DOH had issued the guidelines on this since March.
We have done preliminary visits sa mga hospitals na ito at mukang based sa initial inspection, merong sufficient compliance sa mga facilities, he said.
Companies importing and producing stem cell products, on the other hand, should apply for registration with the Food and Drug Administration, an agency attached to the DOH.
Products that will not be applied for registration will also be considered illegal after the deadline.
Experimental treatment not for free
Go here to read the rest:
DOH gives health facilities engaged in stem cell therapy until Aug. 31 to register
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Duane Roth: Ecumenical Innovator for San Diego and Biotech
Posted: August 12, 2013 at 11:03 pm
The Xconomy news service today carried
a sterling look at the contributions that Duane Roth, co-vice
chairman of the California stem cell agency, made before his untimely
death as the result of a bicycle accident.
a sterling look at the contributions that Duane Roth, co-vice
chairman of the California stem cell agency, made before his untimely
death as the result of a bicycle accident.
Reporter Bruce Bigelow pulled together
a host of comments concerning Roth's involvement in the San Diego
community, ranging from biotech to action sports companies. The
headline on the piece read, “The Connector Who Wired up a Regional
Innovation Economy.”
a host of comments concerning Roth's involvement in the San Diego
community, ranging from biotech to action sports companies. The
headline on the piece read, “The Connector Who Wired up a Regional
Innovation Economy.”
At the time of his death at the age of
63, Roth was CEO of Connect, a nonprofit organization that supported
technology and innovation and one that he was credited with reviving.
Bigelow also wrote,
63, Roth was CEO of Connect, a nonprofit organization that supported
technology and innovation and one that he was credited with reviving.
Bigelow also wrote,
“Once California voters approved a
2004 ballot proposition that authorized the issuance of $3 billion in
grants for stem cell R&D, (Mary) Walshok (associate vice
chancellor for public programs at UC San Diego) said Roth also played
a key role in bringing together UCSD, Scripps, Salk, and
Sanford-Burnham to create the Sanford Consortium for Regenerative
Medicine. In fact, Walshok doubts whether anyone but Duane Roth could
have brought the four major research centers together.”
Another speaker at the memorial
services Friday attended by about 1,000 persons was Bill Walton, the
former UCLA and NBA great, who grew up in San Diego.
services Friday attended by about 1,000 persons was Bill Walton, the
former UCLA and NBA great, who grew up in San Diego.
Bigelow wrote,
“Walton, the NBA Hall of Famer who
has led San Diego Sports Innovators as a division of Connect since
2010, said Roth became a business mentor to him. In his comments
Friday afternoon, Walton said Roth inspired him to be a better
person, and he counted Roth among the people who had the biggest
influence on his life—a list that included his own father, UCLA
coach John Wooden, sportscaster Chick Hearn, author David Halberstam,
and Jerry Garcia of the Grateful Dead.”
Bigelow described Roth as an ecumenical
and pragmatic advocate for innovation who could work with persons who
did not always agree with him on all issues. He was a conservative
and active Republican, but his co-vice chair at at the stem cell
agency, Art Torres, former chairman of the state Democratic Party, on
more than one occasion has lauded Roth's ability to work together.
and pragmatic advocate for innovation who could work with persons who
did not always agree with him on all issues. He was a conservative
and active Republican, but his co-vice chair at at the stem cell
agency, Art Torres, former chairman of the state Democratic Party, on
more than one occasion has lauded Roth's ability to work together.
Bigelow wrote about similar remarks
Friday by Don Rosenberg, an executive vice president and general
counsel at Qualcomm.
Friday by Don Rosenberg, an executive vice president and general
counsel at Qualcomm.
“'Duane and I were as different as
two people can be,' Rosenberg said during his eulogy at the Church of
the Immaculata. 'Duane was born in Iowa, baptized in the Mennonite
church, a Republican. And me, raised in Brooklyn, Jewish, a Democrat.
We quickly learned we had more in common. We were kindred spirits. We
liked the same things: Bikes, biking, cars, and people.'”
Posted in Stem Cells, Stem Cell Therapy
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A $6 Billion Question: Progress of the California Stem Cell Agency
Posted: August 12, 2013 at 6:00 am
The headlines march like legions across the
Internet and throughout the world.
Internet and throughout the world.
But then there is this extraordinarily
rare headline that sounds a harshly different note:
rare headline that sounds a harshly different note:
All these headlines go to address, in
one form or another, a request/question posed last month by an
anonymous reader of the California Stem Cell Report. The comment came
on an item about the California stem cell agency's $70 million plan
to establish a network of “Alpha” stem cell clinics in
California.
one form or another, a request/question posed last month by an
anonymous reader of the California Stem Cell Report. The comment came
on an item about the California stem cell agency's $70 million plan
to establish a network of “Alpha” stem cell clinics in
California.
The reader said,
“It would be nice to have an overall
update on how much as been spent on California's stem cell research
project and what progress has been made.”
On the surface, the answer is easy. The
agency has given away $1.8 billion. The agency says it has made
tremendous progress and expects to make even more with the about $600
million it has left. The prestigious Institute of Medicine has said the
agency has “achieved many notable results.”
agency has given away $1.8 billion. The agency says it has made
tremendous progress and expects to make even more with the about $600
million it has left. The prestigious Institute of Medicine has said the
agency has “achieved many notable results.”
However, no thorough, rigorous
evaluation has been made of the details of the agency's scientific
contributions, specific grant awards or its impact on the field of
regenerative medicine. No one has attempted to genuinely assess
whether the work of the agency is or will be worth the roughly $6
billion(including interest) that California taxpayers will have paid
for the agency's ambitious efforts.
evaluation has been made of the details of the agency's scientific
contributions, specific grant awards or its impact on the field of
regenerative medicine. No one has attempted to genuinely assess
whether the work of the agency is or will be worth the roughly $6
billion(including interest) that California taxpayers will have paid
for the agency's ambitious efforts.
Then there is the question of “progress
towards what?” Is the progress to be measured against the promises
of the 2004 ballot campaign that resulted in creation of the stem
cell agency or more modest goals that eschew the hype of the
campaign?
towards what?” Is the progress to be measured against the promises
of the 2004 ballot campaign that resulted in creation of the stem
cell agency or more modest goals that eschew the hype of the
campaign?
The stem cell agency is burdened in a way that most science is not. The 2004 campaign
created a sort of contract with voters. They were led to
believe nine years ago that the cures for diseases that the campaign said afflict nearly
one-half of all California families were, in fact, right around the corner. Few,
if any California stem cell researchers were publicly warning that a
hard and long, long slog remained before therapies reached patients.
created a sort of contract with voters. They were led to
believe nine years ago that the cures for diseases that the campaign said afflict nearly
one-half of all California families were, in fact, right around the corner. Few,
if any California stem cell researchers were publicly warning that a
hard and long, long slog remained before therapies reached patients.
Last week, however, Simon Roach of the
British newspapers, The Guardian and Observer, shed some light on the
early, rosy promises of stem cell science compared to the world as it exists
today.
British newspapers, The Guardian and Observer, shed some light on the
early, rosy promises of stem cell science compared to the world as it exists
today.
He wrote that in 1998,
“(B)iomedical engineer Professor
Michael Sefton declared that within 10 years, scientists would have
grown an entire heart, fit for transplant. 'We're shooting big,' he
said. 'Our vision is that we'll be able to pop out a damaged heart
and replace it as easily as you would replace a carburetor in a car.'“Fifteen years on, however, we've had
some liver cells, eye cells, even a lab-grown
burger, but no whole human organs. We could be forgiven for
asking: where's our heart? It does seem strange that a field stoking
so much excitement could be so far off the mark. Speaking last week
about the vision that he and his colleagues outlined in 1998, Sefton
said they had been 'hopelessly naïve.' As time plodded on and an
understanding of the biological complexity increased, the task seemed
bigger and bigger. Even now, a cacophony of headlines later, we are
not much further ahead.
“Chris Mason is a professor of
regenerative medicine at University College London and believes that
concentrating on organ regeneration is missing a trick. 'These organs
are immensely complex,' he said. 'They've got nerves, blood vessels,
in the case of the liver, a bile system – there are huge degrees of
complexity. These things take a long time to grow in humans, let
alone in the lab without all the natural cues that occur in the
growing embryo.'"
The final paragraph in Roach's article
said,
said,
“There's a tension in medical
research between the glory of the big discovery and the
assiduous commitment to real application. 'We're hoping the scope and
possibilities of this project will catch the public's imagination,'
Sefton concluded in 1998. It did, but perhaps the public's
imagination isn't always what science should be vying for.”
Little doubt exists that the California
stem cell agency has made a significant contribution to stem cell
science, although the size of that contribution – beyond dollars –
remains to be measured. For now, the key for the agency and the
public is to focus on activities that will generate the greatest value over the
next few years and advance the science that has already been financed
by the agency.
stem cell agency has made a significant contribution to stem cell
science, although the size of that contribution – beyond dollars –
remains to be measured. For now, the key for the agency and the
public is to focus on activities that will generate the greatest value over the
next few years and advance the science that has already been financed
by the agency.
As the $700,000 Institute of Medicine
report said,
report said,
“The challenge of moving its research
programs closer to the clinic and California’s large biotechnology
sector is certainly on CIRM’s agenda, but substantial achievements
in this arena remain to be made.”
Source:
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/uqpFc/~3/O78NzUdZE88/a-6-billion-question-progress-of.html
Posted in Stem Cells, Stem Cell Therapy
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Stem Cell Agency's Duane Roth Eulogized at Memorial Services
Posted: August 11, 2013 at 6:10 pm
An estimated 1,000 persons attended
services last week for Duane Roth, co-vice chairman of the California
stem cell agency, who died at the age of 63 following a bicycle
accident.
services last week for Duane Roth, co-vice chairman of the California
stem cell agency, who died at the age of 63 following a bicycle
accident.
The San Diego U-T reported,
“A Who’s
Who of San Diego’s technology, business and civic community
gathered Friday to bid farewell to Duane Roth.
The biotech entrepreneur, community leader and director of Connect
died last weekend of injuries sustained in a cycling accident.
“Among
attendees were Gayle and former Gov. Pete
Wilson, who had just celebrated his upcoming 80th birthday
with former colleagues and friends in Sacramento, county
Supervisor Ron Roberts, former
Assemblyman Nathan Fletcher, Chamber
head Jerry Sanders, Preuss School
benefactors Peggy and Peter
Preuss, SDG&E CEO Jessie Knight,
and many biotech and high-tech leaders. These included Irwin
Jacobs, Ted Waitt and Denny
Sanford.”
Posted in Stem Cells, Stem Cell Therapy
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'Paradigm Shift' — Researchers as Patient Advocates?
Posted: August 11, 2013 at 2:49 pm
It is not easy for a stem cell
scientist to break into “print” in that bastion of American
capitalism, Forbes magazine. Much less one from that perceived
antithesis of free enterprise, Reed College.
scientist to break into “print” in that bastion of American
capitalism, Forbes magazine. Much less one from that perceived
antithesis of free enterprise, Reed College.
But researcher Paul Knoepfler of UC
Davis has done just that.
Davis has done just that.
John Farrell of Forbes wrote about Knoepfler on
Friday in the wake of the announcement Knoepfler will be honored with
a “national advocacy” award by the Genetics Policy Institute.
Friday in the wake of the announcement Knoepfler will be honored with
a “national advocacy” award by the Genetics Policy Institute.
Paul Knoepfler -- Advocate for a "new ethos" UC Davis photo |
Knoepfler, who received a degree in
English literature from Reed in 1989, is being recognized for his
activities as a stem cell blogger since 2009.
English literature from Reed in 1989, is being recognized for his
activities as a stem cell blogger since 2009.
Farrell quoted Knoepfler as saying in
an email,
an email,
“With many stumbles, face plants,
land mines, and even a few threats of litigation and career
retaliation along the way for the last three and half a years, I
turned my crazy idea into a reality.”
Farrell continued,
“But it was only possible,
(Knoepfler) added, with guidance from many patient advocates and
bloggers in other fields who generously helped him learn the ropes of
blogging.
“'I see this award as a validation of
the notion that advocacy by scientists has become a valued part of
the stem cell field,' he said.
“'My hope is to catalyze a continuing
paradigm shift whereby stem cell scientists and biomedical scientists
more generally have a new ethos that not just accepts, but also
deeply values advocacy.'”
Posted in Stem Cells, Stem Cell Therapy
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California Stem Cell Agency on Lacks: Informed Consent Cannot Remove All Questions
Posted: August 11, 2013 at 2:59 am
(Photo and caption from the stem cell agency blog item this morning.) |
The $3 billion California stem cell
agency today weighed in on the Henrietta Lacks-NIH arrangement
restricting the use of her cell lines in research.
agency today weighed in on the Henrietta Lacks-NIH arrangement
restricting the use of her cell lines in research.
Writing on the agency's blog, Geoff
Lomax, the agency's senior officer for its standards group, noted
that the DNA sequence of her cell line was published without the
knowledge of her descendants. Lomax said,
Lomax, the agency's senior officer for its standards group, noted
that the DNA sequence of her cell line was published without the
knowledge of her descendants. Lomax said,
“The family was understandably upset
by the lack of consultation and in response the research team removed
the genome data from public access.”
Lomax continued,
“CIRM has benefited from these
efforts. We are currently supporting an initiative to collect tissue
samples from thousands of people with a range of incurable diseases
and create reprogrammed iPS cells from those tissues (here's
more about that initiative). These cells will be a resource for
scientists worldwide working to understand and treat diseases. Part
of this initiative includes a consent process to make sure people who
donate fully understand how their cells will be used. (This process
is formally called informed consent.)
“The informed
consent process includes a form that identifies the purposes of the
research and describes the way cells will be used. We are also
developing education materials that will help potential donors
quickly and easily understand the basic aspects of research that will
be conducted with those cells. The end result of this collaboration
with our grantees will be a process that is truly informative to
donors.
“The informed consent process can’t entirely
eliminate all future questions on the part of the donor, but it does
ensure that donors have a chance to understand how their cells will
be used and what information will be made public—something
Henrietta Lacks and her family never had.”
Posted in Stem Cells, Stem Cell Therapy
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Skloots, Collins and More on Henrietta Lacks' Cell Line Deal
Posted: August 11, 2013 at 2:59 am
More details about the unprecedented
arrangement involving Henrietta Lacks' cell line emerged today in a
wide range of publications, including a Nature journal piece that
said it was not a precedent.
arrangement involving Henrietta Lacks' cell line emerged today in a
wide range of publications, including a Nature journal piece that
said it was not a precedent.
The article was co-authored by Francis
Collins, head of the NIH, and Kathy Hudson, deputy director for
science, outreach and policy at the NIH.
Collins, head of the NIH, and Kathy Hudson, deputy director for
science, outreach and policy at the NIH.
“It is important to note, however,
that we are responding to an extraordinary situation here, not
setting a precedent for research with previously stored,
de-identified specimens. The approach we have developed through
working with the Lacks family is unique because HeLa cells were taken
and used without consent, and gave rise to the most widely used human
cell line in the world, and because the family members are known by
name to millions of people.”
The restrictions on use of the cell
lines came about after a flap erupted about their recent use without
the knowledge of her descendants. (The California Stem Cell Report carried a commentary on it yesterday.) Rebecca Skloots, author of the
best-seller, “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks,” wrote about
the controversy in a March 23 op-ed piece in the New York Times. She
said,
lines came about after a flap erupted about their recent use without
the knowledge of her descendants. (The California Stem Cell Report carried a commentary on it yesterday.) Rebecca Skloots, author of the
best-seller, “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks,” wrote about
the controversy in a March 23 op-ed piece in the New York Times. She
said,
In the article, Skloots said,
“Imagine if someone secretly sent
samples of your DNA to one of many companies that promise to tell you
what your genes say about you. That report would list the good news
(you’ll probably live to be 100) and the not-so-good news (you’ll
most likely develop Alzheimer’s, bipolar disorder and maybe
alcoholism). Now imagine they posted your genetic information online,
with your name on it. Some people may not mind. But I assure you,
many do: genetic information can be stigmatizing, and while it’s
illegal for employers or health insurance providers to discriminate
based on that information, this is not true for life insurance,
disability coverage or long-term care.
“'That is private family
information,” said Jeri Lacks-Whye, Lacks’s granddaughter. “It
shouldn’t have been published without our consent.'”
Nature also carried a Q&A with Collins in which he said,
“This has wrapped in it science,
scientific history, ethical concerns, the bringing together of people
of very different cultures, a family with all the complications that
families have.”
In the Wall Street Journal this
morning, Ron Winslow described the arrangement with the NIH like
this.
morning, Ron Winslow described the arrangement with the NIH like
this.
“Under the pact, two descendants of
Ms. Lacks will serve on a six-member panel with scientists to review
proposals from researchers seeking to sequence the DNA of cell lines
derived from her tumor or to use DNA profiles of such cells in their
research. That gives family members a highly unusual voice in who
gets access to personal health information.
Terms call for controlled access to the
genomic data and credit to the Lacks family in papers and scientific
presentations based on the research done with the DNA data.”
In an interview in The Scientist,
Skloots, who was involved in the Lacks-NIH negotiations, said the
Lacks family asked for her participation.
Skloots, who was involved in the Lacks-NIH negotiations, said the
Lacks family asked for her participation.
“The only reason I was involved in
this is because scientists did this without the family’s consent
and then it got all of this press coverage, and no one asked the
question, 'Did the family give consent?' So I sort of waded back
in.”
She continued,
“That OpEd that I
wrote was the first time I’d ever publicly expressed an opinion,
which was, 'Really?!? Are we going to continue to not ask the Lacks
family questions?' I was kind of shocked in a sense that nobody
thought to raise that issue.”
Posted in Stem Cells, Stem Cell Therapy
Comments Off on Skloots, Collins and More on Henrietta Lacks' Cell Line Deal
Skloots, Collins and More on Henrietta Lacks’ Cell Line Deal
Posted: August 11, 2013 at 2:59 am
More details about the unprecedented
arrangement involving Henrietta Lacks' cell line emerged today in a
wide range of publications, including a Nature journal piece that
said it was not a precedent.
arrangement involving Henrietta Lacks' cell line emerged today in a
wide range of publications, including a Nature journal piece that
said it was not a precedent.
The article was co-authored by Francis
Collins, head of the NIH, and Kathy Hudson, deputy director for
science, outreach and policy at the NIH.
Collins, head of the NIH, and Kathy Hudson, deputy director for
science, outreach and policy at the NIH.
“It is important to note, however,
that we are responding to an extraordinary situation here, not
setting a precedent for research with previously stored,
de-identified specimens. The approach we have developed through
working with the Lacks family is unique because HeLa cells were taken
and used without consent, and gave rise to the most widely used human
cell line in the world, and because the family members are known by
name to millions of people.”
The restrictions on use of the cell
lines came about after a flap erupted about their recent use without
the knowledge of her descendants. (The California Stem Cell Report carried a commentary on it yesterday.) Rebecca Skloots, author of the
best-seller, “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks,” wrote about
the controversy in a March 23 op-ed piece in the New York Times. She
said,
lines came about after a flap erupted about their recent use without
the knowledge of her descendants. (The California Stem Cell Report carried a commentary on it yesterday.) Rebecca Skloots, author of the
best-seller, “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks,” wrote about
the controversy in a March 23 op-ed piece in the New York Times. She
said,
In the article, Skloots said,
“Imagine if someone secretly sent
samples of your DNA to one of many companies that promise to tell you
what your genes say about you. That report would list the good news
(you’ll probably live to be 100) and the not-so-good news (you’ll
most likely develop Alzheimer’s, bipolar disorder and maybe
alcoholism). Now imagine they posted your genetic information online,
with your name on it. Some people may not mind. But I assure you,
many do: genetic information can be stigmatizing, and while it’s
illegal for employers or health insurance providers to discriminate
based on that information, this is not true for life insurance,
disability coverage or long-term care.
“'That is private family
information,” said Jeri Lacks-Whye, Lacks’s granddaughter. “It
shouldn’t have been published without our consent.'”
Nature also carried a Q&A with Collins in which he said,
“This has wrapped in it science,
scientific history, ethical concerns, the bringing together of people
of very different cultures, a family with all the complications that
families have.”
In the Wall Street Journal this
morning, Ron Winslow described the arrangement with the NIH like
this.
morning, Ron Winslow described the arrangement with the NIH like
this.
“Under the pact, two descendants of
Ms. Lacks will serve on a six-member panel with scientists to review
proposals from researchers seeking to sequence the DNA of cell lines
derived from her tumor or to use DNA profiles of such cells in their
research. That gives family members a highly unusual voice in who
gets access to personal health information.
Terms call for controlled access to the
genomic data and credit to the Lacks family in papers and scientific
presentations based on the research done with the DNA data.”
In an interview in The Scientist,
Skloots, who was involved in the Lacks-NIH negotiations, said the
Lacks family asked for her participation.
Skloots, who was involved in the Lacks-NIH negotiations, said the
Lacks family asked for her participation.
“The only reason I was involved in
this is because scientists did this without the family’s consent
and then it got all of this press coverage, and no one asked the
question, 'Did the family give consent?' So I sort of waded back
in.”
She continued,
“That OpEd that I
wrote was the first time I’d ever publicly expressed an opinion,
which was, 'Really?!? Are we going to continue to not ask the Lacks
family questions?' I was kind of shocked in a sense that nobody
thought to raise that issue.”
Posted in Stem Cells, Stem Cell Therapy
Comments Off on Skloots, Collins and More on Henrietta Lacks’ Cell Line Deal
The Henrietta Lacks Story and Eggs, Money and Motherhood
Posted: August 11, 2013 at 2:59 am
The legacy of Henrietta Lacks popped up
again today in a piece in the New York Times that should
resonate among stem cell researchers and within the stem cell
industry.
again today in a piece in the New York Times that should
resonate among stem cell researchers and within the stem cell
industry.
It even has a current hook involving
California legislation to permit women to sell their eggs for the
purposes of scientific research – a bill that is now on the desk of
Gov. Jerry Brown.
California legislation to permit women to sell their eggs for the
purposes of scientific research – a bill that is now on the desk of
Gov. Jerry Brown.
The issues in the Lacks saga involve ownership of human
cells, trafficking in them and informed consent, all of which surface in one form or another in the state legislation.
cells, trafficking in them and informed consent, all of which surface in one form or another in the state legislation.
But first a refresher on Henrietta
Lacks. She was an African-American woman who died in 1951 of cervical
cancer at the age of 31. Shortly before her death, physicians removed
some of her tumor cells, and, as recounted in today's NYTimes article
by Carl Zimmer,
Lacks. She was an African-American woman who died in 1951 of cervical
cancer at the age of 31. Shortly before her death, physicians removed
some of her tumor cells, and, as recounted in today's NYTimes article
by Carl Zimmer,
“They later discovered that the cells
could thrive in a lab, a feat no human cells had achieved before.
"Soon the cells — nicknamed HeLa cells
— were being shipped from Baltimore around the world. In the 62
years since — twice as long as Ms. Lacks’s own brief life — her
cells have been the subject of more than 74,000 studies, many of
which have yielded profound insights into cell biology, vaccines, in
vitro fertilization and cancer.”
But Lacks never consented to her cells'
being studied, a situation not uncommon at the time, nor did her
family know about the situation until 1973. The complete story was
chronicled in 2010 in a best-selling book, “The Immortal Life of
Henrietta Lacks," by Rebecca Skloot.
being studied, a situation not uncommon at the time, nor did her
family know about the situation until 1973. The complete story was
chronicled in 2010 in a best-selling book, “The Immortal Life of
Henrietta Lacks," by Rebecca Skloot.
Zimmer noted in today's article,
“For 62 years, (Lacks') family has
been left out of the decision-making about that research. Now, over
the past four months, the National
Institutes of Health has come to an agreement with the Lacks
family to grant them control over how Henrietta Lacks’s genome is
used.”
The particulars involving her genome
are in Zimmer's story. But the article implicitly raises anew
questions that make many scientists uncomfortable. Often they contend
that the situation involving Lacks could not occur today because of
higher ethical standards. Standards ARE higher today. But problems
continue to arise in the scientific community, including the sale a few years ago of willed body parts at UCLA for $1.5 million to private medical companies.
are in Zimmer's story. But the article implicitly raises anew
questions that make many scientists uncomfortable. Often they contend
that the situation involving Lacks could not occur today because of
higher ethical standards. Standards ARE higher today. But problems
continue to arise in the scientific community, including the sale a few years ago of willed body parts at UCLA for $1.5 million to private medical companies.
Development of products based on human
stem cells promises even greater rewards, with billion-dollar
blockbuster therapies not out of the range of possibilities. Profit
and the desire to record a stunning research triumph are powerful
motivators. They can lead to short cuts and dubious practices, such
as seen in the Korean stem cell scandals of 2006.
stem cells promises even greater rewards, with billion-dollar
blockbuster therapies not out of the range of possibilities. Profit
and the desire to record a stunning research triumph are powerful
motivators. They can lead to short cuts and dubious practices, such
as seen in the Korean stem cell scandals of 2006.
So we come to whether women who donate
their eggs for stem cell research can give truly informed consent
when they surrender all rights to whatever products may result from
parts of their bodies, as is common on such consent agreements. Or
for that matter, what about the men who give up adult cells for
reprogramming to a pluripotent state? Can they really understand the
likelihood of a billion dollar product being generated with the help
of their contribution? On the other hand, can the donors also truly
understand that they are probably more likely to be struck by
lightning than have their body parts result in a medical blockbuster?
their eggs for stem cell research can give truly informed consent
when they surrender all rights to whatever products may result from
parts of their bodies, as is common on such consent agreements. Or
for that matter, what about the men who give up adult cells for
reprogramming to a pluripotent state? Can they really understand the
likelihood of a billion dollar product being generated with the help
of their contribution? On the other hand, can the donors also truly
understand that they are probably more likely to be struck by
lightning than have their body parts result in a medical blockbuster?
These considerations may seem
insignificant to some in science. But to grasp their full
implications, one only has to read a few of the nearly 200 reader
comments today on Zimmer's article today. Here is a sample.
insignificant to some in science. But to grasp their full
implications, one only has to read a few of the nearly 200 reader
comments today on Zimmer's article today. Here is a sample.
From Frank Spencer-Molloy in
Connecticut:
Connecticut:
“(T)the Lacks family was robbed.
Scores of companies profited to the tune of tens of millions of
dollars from products they made derived from Henrietta Lacks'
cancerous cells. Maybe this will provide some impetus to a wider
consideration of the rights patients are entitled to when their
tissues are cloned and disseminated to other researchers and
ultimately put to use in profit-making ventures.”
From Robbie in New York City:
“At the very least, this family needs
to be financially compensated for the anguish of their discovery and
for the time and energy they've put into pursuing their rights. In my
opinion, they also deserve a portion of any commercial gain that's
been made using the HeLa cells. It is only through having to give
away money that the powerful learn manners.”
From Julia Himmel in New York City:
“It is absolutely true that
scientists have had a blind spot when it came to the human element of
the HeLa cells.”
The pay-for-eggs legislation (AB926)
now before Gov. Brown requires informed consent from those who
provide eggs. Opponents of the measure, however, argue that truly
informed consent from some women could be actually impossible because
of economic pressures felt by the women. Writing in The Sacramento Bee last month, Diane Tober and Nancy Scheper-Hughes said,
now before Gov. Brown requires informed consent from those who
provide eggs. Opponents of the measure, however, argue that truly
informed consent from some women could be actually impossible because
of economic pressures felt by the women. Writing in The Sacramento Bee last month, Diane Tober and Nancy Scheper-Hughes said,
“Allowing a market in eggs for
research would reach beyond the current pool to target women who may
be motivated by dire need. How many low-income women might consider
selling their eggs, multiple times, to feed their children or pay the
rent?”
Even the fertility industry group
sponsoring the legislation acknowledges that informed consent can be
problematic. A 2012 news release from the American Society for
Reproductive Medicine said,
sponsoring the legislation acknowledges that informed consent can be
problematic. A 2012 news release from the American Society for
Reproductive Medicine said,
“Prospective egg donors must
assimilate a great deal of information in the informed consent
process, yet it remains difficult to determine the extent of their
actual understanding of egg donation and its potential risks.”
The story of the treatment of Henrietta
Lacks and her descendants is a poor commentary on science and
medicine. Yet it resonates with the public, which is keenly sensitive
to scientific and medical abuses, even in situations that did not
appear to be abuses at the time.
Lacks and her descendants is a poor commentary on science and
medicine. Yet it resonates with the public, which is keenly sensitive
to scientific and medical abuses, even in situations that did not
appear to be abuses at the time.
Stem cell research already is burdened by its own
particular moral and religious baggage. With
commercialization of new, pluripotent stem cell therapies coming ever
closer, the last thing the field needs is contemporary version of the
Lacks affair. It would behoove researchers and the stem cell industry
to walk with more than normal care as they manipulate products that
are tied inextricably to visions of both motherhood and money.
particular moral and religious baggage. With
commercialization of new, pluripotent stem cell therapies coming ever
closer, the last thing the field needs is contemporary version of the
Lacks affair. It would behoove researchers and the stem cell industry
to walk with more than normal care as they manipulate products that
are tied inextricably to visions of both motherhood and money.
Source:
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/uqpFc/~3/oncdCzO4V18/the-henrietta-lacks-story-and-eggs.html
Posted in Stem Cells, Stem Cell Therapy
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Memorial Services Friday for Duane Roth, Co-vice chairman of the California Stem Cell Agency
Posted: August 11, 2013 at 2:59 am
A memorial service for Duane Roth,
co-vice chairman of the California stem cell agency, will be held
Friday at 11 a.m. at Immaculata Church at the University of San
Diego.
co-vice chairman of the California stem cell agency, will be held
Friday at 11 a.m. at Immaculata Church at the University of San
Diego.
Roth died Saturday from injuries
suffered in an accident last month while bicycling in the mountains
east of San Diego. He was 63.
suffered in an accident last month while bicycling in the mountains
east of San Diego. He was 63.
San Diego has seen an outpouring of
tributes in the wake of Roth's death for his contributions to the
community in the life sciences, philanthropic and technology areas.
He had served on the stem cell agency board since 2006 and had been
scheduled to become of chairman of the Sanford-Burnham Institute this
fall. He was CEO of Connect, a non-profit organization aimed at
support entrepreneurship in the technology field.
tributes in the wake of Roth's death for his contributions to the
community in the life sciences, philanthropic and technology areas.
He had served on the stem cell agency board since 2006 and had been
scheduled to become of chairman of the Sanford-Burnham Institute this
fall. He was CEO of Connect, a non-profit organization aimed at
support entrepreneurship in the technology field.
Ted Roth, Duane's brother, remembered him in a piece in the San Diego U-T as the oldest of five sons growing up in Wayland, Iowa. Ted Roth wrote that their parents relied on Duane "to set an example for his brothers, and he
was the one they called upon in their later years. He was a lifelong
mentor and friend to his brothers, someone that was always there to
share in life’s experiences."
was the one they called upon in their later years. He was a lifelong
mentor and friend to his brothers, someone that was always there to
share in life’s experiences."
Ted also wrote about his brother's involvement in technology and business.
"Duane was captivated by the possibilities that innovation provides in improving the world in which we live."
The
family has
suggested that in lieu of flowers that donations be made to the Otterson Fund at Connect, Challenged Athletes Foundation or the Copley-Price Family YMCA.
family has
suggested that in lieu of flowers that donations be made to the Otterson Fund at Connect, Challenged Athletes Foundation or the Copley-Price Family YMCA.
Here are links to some of the other recent
articles on Roth: San Diego U-T (see here and here), La Jolla Patch,
La Jolla Light.
articles on Roth: San Diego U-T (see here and here), La Jolla Patch,
La Jolla Light.
Posted in Stem Cells, Stem Cell Therapy
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