Does anyone know what's happening with stem cell research?

[The Hope Mobile]

I know Obama made it possible for us to do the research and I know research is being done but are we getting to the point where therapies are being developed and implemented?? My best friend has MS and now today we are having my 9 year old tested for childhood lupus, MS or fibromyalgia. Is this going to be a long drawn out bureaucratic process or are we going to see some results before the republicans get control and stop the progress? My friend and son deserve to be able to stop the pain (as do so many others). It sounds like the technology is there. Are there more hoops to jump through to make that happen? Any information/insight on this would be greatly appreciated.

[Teaser]

1. Well it's a slog in spinal cord research, I'll tell you that.

which is why I'm doing a lot of spine/brain machine interface right now.

[The Hope Mobile]

4. Sorry - could you explain that? Thanks!

[Teaser]

7. it's hard because spinal cells are so differentiated.

Whereas in some tissues, generating new cells works to help things, with neurons it's the connections that matter. So getting new neurons to grow isn't enough. They have to make the right connections. Otherwise it's like smashing up a radio and then throwing some wires into the mess and just hoping they make the appropriate circuitry.

Not saying it can't be done, but it's hard. So my lab works from the perspective of installing man made computational circuitry to replace the damaged "wiring". I think it stands a higher probability of success, and also, I like the idea of cyborgs.

[TZ]

2. Some clinical trials have just started in this area.

http://www.popsci.com/scitech/article/2009-01/fda-approves-first-ever-stem-cell-clinical-trial

Also, since California has done a good job with allowing funding in this area (maybe the one good thing the Guvornator has done) there are a whole lot of companies doing research in this area.
There's also a whole company out here devoted to stem cell research. They had been using adult stem cells, but once the embryonic become more availaible I'm sure they will be jumping in there..
http://www.osiristx.com/

[The Hope Mobile]

3. Thanks! I am also in CA. Good to know! nt

[Igel]

5. There's still quite a bit of stem cell research being done.

Most of it is still with adult, umbilical cord, or fetal stem cells--all of which were funded well enough before 1/09, of course.

There was a fair amount of embryonic stem cell research going on before 1/09, as well, just not as much. There were some administrative hurdles that made such research much more expensive than it needed to be, as well.

A lot of people overlooked that there are different kinds of stem cells, and others ignored that ESC research was going on under *. It was sadly inconvenient, on so many levels. The result is that they trumpet the ESC research, as something new; and they still overlook the non-ESC research that was and is being done. Or, worse, they assume that such research was only being done because the "good" ESC research couldn't be done or was even illegal. Details should matter.

However, the increased volume of ESC research will take a while to ramp up. IIRC, they're still dealing with some basic problems in using ESCs. These are two of the reasons that a relatively small amount of the California stem-cell research money went to ESC this year. I think there may be a few ESC treatments getting close to clinical trials, but I'm not going to commit to that. That there are more non-ESC SC treatments getting close to clinical trials is still true.

Meanwhile, they keep finding new ways to use non-ESC stem cells. IIRC, they've even managed to make adult cells (not stem cells) into fully pluripotent stem cells, but that may have been in mice.

The technology is pretty much not there.

[optimator]

6. whatever is the most horrible thing you can imagine

is probably true.
I'm sure its something along the lines of taxpayer money being used for megacorporations' research and profiteering, then only the rich will have access to any new tech.

[Teaser]

8. fail.

next time try facts.