Embryonic-Like Stem Cells in Adult Tissue?

Embryonic-Like Stem Cells in Adult Tissue?

A press release from the biotechnology company Moraga reports that scientists have discovered primitive cells within adult tissue that are able to differentiate into most tissues and organs of the body. I report this dutifully, but I am skeptical. The findings have not been published in any journal, the scientists are unidentified, and the text of the press release reads like ad copy. Now, the main purpose of a business press release is advertising in the hopes of boosting stock price, so it’s not surprising that there is a lack of scientific detail, but I personally am not going to consider this a major scientific break-through without some more meat.

Hwang Woo-Suk Fired

Hwang Woo-Suk Fired

Not that this was a big surprise to anyone….Seoul National University officially fired Dr. Hwang Woo-Suk Monday. He had already resigned one post, and had been suspended from teaching, but now that he is officially fired, his severance pay is cut in half and he can’t be hired by the government for five years, according to a Reuters story. The Korea Times also reports that prosecutors confirmed that the contamination of some of the stem cell lines was accidental and not intentional. The BBC reports that of six other professors who were part of the team, four were suspended for up to three months and two received a one-month pay cut. An AP story in the San Diego Union Tribune (and other places) gives a few more details if you want to read another version.

This is not quite the end of this saga, as the criminal investigation into fraud and embezzlement has not concluded, but I don’t think there’s much left to it.

Political News

Political News

Illinois and Maryland are in the news with legislative issues, although it’s not passage of anything yet. In Illinois, lobbying is underway to get the governor’s proposed stem cell research bill passed. The Governor, the Lieutenant Governor, the Attorney General, the Secretary of State, and the Comptroller all signed a letter urging passage of the bill, according to an AP story in the Belleville News-Democrat and other local Illinois media. The only state official who did not sign was Treasurer Judy Topinka, who wants to run for governor against current Governor Rod Blagojevich. A spokesperson said that she declined to sign the letter because she had not had time to review the proposal, but that generally she supported embryonic stem cell research.

Maryland news is not really new news, just that House of Delegates is taking up the compromise bill from the Senate this week, according to the Baltimore Sun. So I’ll be following this.