Pass the StemAde

#5
#5
It may still be a bit early yet to say this this is a technique to create truly pluripotent steam cells, or if these are highly multipotent. But, it sounds very encouraging....and is exciting science. It sounds like they feel they are truly pluripotent...which is amazing. I hope it's true. If we can finally find a way to get these cells and get over/around the debate...we can finally see how much good we can do with the cells.
 
#6
#6
Good news. There was hope at one time, they would find cures for many diseases with stem cells. Now they is nothing stopping them from doing that.
 
#7
#7
oklavol said:
Good news. There was hope at one time, they would find cures for many diseases with stem cells. Now they is nothing stopping them from doing that.
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Yep...that's what I was getting at - if these prove to be truly long-term pluripotent stem cells. I guess I'm still just a little shocked that this method produced true stem cells - thus my optimistic skepticism. This will allow many more groups to join the work....and I (along with many others) am praying for some treatments/cures.
 
#8
#8
oklavol said:
Good news. There was hope at one time, they would find cures for many diseases with stem cells. Now they is nothing stopping them from doing that.
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There was nothing stopping them in the first place in regards to politics.
 
#9
#9
allvol123 said:
There was nothing stopping them in the first place in regards to politics.
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I don't know about that. The number of research groups who were able to perform stem cell research was limited by the availability of viable stem cell lines and appropriate private funding. NIH rules over medical research with its funding ... and a lot of that can go to this area of research now.
 
#10
#10
TennTradition said:
I don't know about that. The number of research groups who were able to perform stem cell research was limited by the availability of viable stem cell lines and appropriate private funding. NIH rules over medical research with its funding ... and a lot of that can go to this area of research now.
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So can NIH prohibit use of certain stem cell lines by privately run entities?
 
#11
#11
allvol123 said:
So can NIH prohibit use of certain stem cell lines by privately run entities?
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No....and that point was implicit in my last post.

There exists a key externality in this market because of political concerns and risk of investment. First, this advancement, if it pans out, will remove some of that political risk and will lessen the effect of the externality - perhaps opening up more private funding. Furthermore, some private foundations and companies have funded the work, but NIH is the key funding source for this sort of basic science - because of the externalities that lead to underinvestment. Because of the fact that NIH is the primary funding agency for this sort of work (and not the private sector that could have funded it before), many more research groups will be working on this now - which will likely yield better results.

Very few revolutionary scientific advances come from private-sector funded research. The private sector typically focuses on specific technologies and applications which limit the scope of the work and rarely yield revolutions. Do not confuse this with technological advances - obviously the private sector has and will continue to contribute to those. But, as a general rule, basic science research (where most revolutions stem from) is historically underfunded in a purely market-based system...thus the reason the government corrects for this with funding. At least, that is my opinion.
 
#12
#12
My opinion was people shouldn't worry about the government impeding research due to funding restrictions based on ethical concerns. If something is lucrative or has the potential to be, it will be discovered. I am sure I am oversimplifying this in the "real world" you exist in. Just my beliefs.
 
#13
#13
allvol123 said:
My opinion was people shouldn't worry about the government impeding research due to funding restrictions based on ethical concerns. If something is lucrative or has the potential to be, it will be discovered. I am sure I am oversimplifying this in the "real world" you exist in. Just my beliefs.
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I think that independent of externalities (the real world you mention), your point is valid. But, there is historic underinvestment in basic science - which this would still be considered. Also, if you were a company, would you invest a lot into a study that the government was already divided on and could possibly go even more conservative on? That risk is enough to keep many away. This luckily avoids that point.
 
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