What is “gene-editing?” Is gene editing human embryos a positive scientific breakthrough for human health? Or misuse of a powerful research tool? This “Highlights” will outline the basic biology behind gene editing, followed by a description of the process in general and in human embryos, specifically.
Dr. Paul Winig, a long time collaborator and benefactor of The Foundation passed away on September 9th, 2018. Dr. Winig was a key collaborator and founder of the Foundation’s SPAR program (originally the Assisted Reproduction Foundation), as well as a participant in the Stem Cell Research programs that have been performed since the early 2000s…
Although circadian rhythms were discovered over a century ago, their importance and their molecular basis is a fast-growing field in the past 20 years. Bedford Research scientists became aware of circadian rhythm genes while researching ways to improve the efficiency of developing therapeutically valuable stem cells from human eggs activated without sperm (parthenotes).
Last week a team of Oregon scientists reported creating four unique stem cells by injecting the nucleus from another cell in the body into a human egg, a process called Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer. This work is a follow-up to studies originally reported by Bedford Research Foundation scientists, Jose Cibelli and Ann Kiessling, in 2001.
The current raucous debate over the commonly used PSA blood test to screen for prostate cancer, the third leading cause of cancer deaths in men in the U.S., stems from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force’s recommendation to discontinue PSA screening. The debate is pitting physician against physician, cancer advocacy groups against health care insurance companies, and leaving men with enormous questions about what to do about their lifetime risk of developing prostate cancer.
As we enter a new decade of this new millennium, stem cell science is in a state of confusion. The power of pluripotent stem cells to alleviate damage to organs has been amply demonstrated in many model systems. It is not hype to assert that pluripotent stem cells are the foundation upon which regenerative medicine will grow. The over arching problem now, however, is lack of consensus about which stem cells to use and how to use them.