501derful.org
Looks like the passage of Prop. 71 here in California has kicked off a contest to see who’s #1 in stem cell research.
Wisconsin just announced its commitment to a stem cell research center at UW to hang on to their researchers, and Tony Blair has said he wants the UK to be the world’s stem cell research leader. Tony’s got ambitious plans for Britain. He says, "Our ambition is for the UK to become the science capital of the world. We are well on the way. I believe we can be the best." The UK does seem to be on a roll, and maybe Tony’s not just talkin’ trash.
So what’s the benefit in cancer?
Researchers have identified stem cells in brain cancer tumors that replenish the tumors and keep them growing. Snuffing out these cancer stem cells could lead to a raft of new treatments for various cancers, according to researchers who published their findings in the Nov. 18 issue of Nature
Hmmm. I wonder who’s doing the research on culturing the stem cells produced by these tumors into new cell lines that can be used in various therapies, rather than as targets to be snuffed out?
The Nature article didn’t go into that.