Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research Research Articles

American Academy of Pediatrics Supports Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research

American Academy of Pediatrics Supports Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research

Chromosomal Modification in Human Embryonic Stem Cells Cultured in a Feeder-Free Condition after Single Cell Dissociation using Accutase.

Human embryonic stem (ES) cells are a potential source of cells for developmental studies and for a variety of applications in transplantation therapies and drug discovery. However, human ES cells are difficult to culture and maintain at a large scale, which is one of the most serious obstacles in human ES cell research. Culture of human ES cells on MEF cells after disassociation with accutase has previously been demonstrated by other research groups. Here, we confirmed that human ES cells (H9) can maintain stem cell properties when the cells are passaged as single cells under a feeder-free culture condition. Accutase-dissociated human ES cells showed normal karyotype, stem cell marker expression, and morphology. We prepared frozen stocks during the culture period, thawed two of the human ES cell stocks, and analyzed the cells after culture with the same method. Although the cells revealed normal expression of stem cell marker genes, they had abnormal karyotypes. Therefore, we suggest that accutase-dissociated single cells can be usefully expanded in a feeder-free condition but chromosomal modification should be considered in the culture after freeze-thawing.

Human Embryonic Stem Cell (hESC) and Human Embryo Research

Human embryonic stem cell research has emerged as an important platform for the understanding and treatment of pediatric diseases. From its inception, however, it has raised ethical concerns based not on the use of stem cells themselves but on objections to the source of the cells--specifically, the destruction of preimplantation human embryos. Despite differences in public opinion on this issue, a large majority of the public supports continued research using embryonic stem cells. Given the possible substantial benefit of stem cell research on child health and development, the American Academy of Pediatrics believes that funding and oversight for human embryo and embryonic stem cell research should continue.

Global Update: Sweden

Swedish researchers have been very active in the stem cell field for many years. They have pioneered areas such as clinical treatment of Parkinson's disease, developmental biology including early stem cells, human embryonic stem cells, induced pluripotent stem cells and human mesenchymal stem cells. The Swedish Research Council and other funding organizations have been very positive for stem cell research, and there is a favorable law in Sweden regulating human embryonic stem cell research. Many groups have been active partners in projects funded by the European Commission. Clinical trials are ongoing with mesenchymal stem cells in graft versus host disease and osteogenesis imperfecta. Successful transplantations of trachea using a tissue-engineered product with cells cultured into a scaffold have been made recently. Optimizing the stem cell type for these constructs is ongoing.

Scope and Impact of International Research in Human Pluripotent Stem Cells

In a recent study published in this journal it was claimed that the rate of publications from US-based authors in the human embryonic stem cell (hESC) research field was slowing or even declining from 2008 to 2010. It was assumed that this is the result of long-term effects of the Bush administration’s funding policy for hESC research and the uncertain policy environment of recent years. In the present study, we analyzed a pool of more than 1,700 original hESC research papers published world-wide from 2007 to 2011. In contrast to the previous study, our results do not support the hypothesis of a decline in the productivity of US-based research but rather confirm a nearly unchanged leading position of US research in the hESC field with respect to both publication numbers and impact of research. Moreover, we analyzed about 500 papers reporting original research involving human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) published through 2011 and found a dominant position of US research in this research field as well.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s12015-012-9409-0) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Metaphysical and Moral Status of Cryopreserved Embryos.

Those who oppose human embryonic stem cell research argue for a clear position on the metaphysical and moral status of human embryos. This position does not differ whether the embryo is present inside its mother's reproductive tract or in a cryopreservation tank. It is worth examining, however, whether an embryo in "suspended animation" has the same status as one actively developing in utero. I will explore this question from the perspective of Thomas Aquinas's metaphysical account of human nature. I conclude that a cryopreserved human embryo counts, both metaphysically and morally, as a person; and thus the utilization of such embryos for inherently destructive research purposes is impermissible.

Governance of stem cell research: Public participation and decision-making in China, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan

This article compares and explores forms of 'public' participation in the development of bioethical governance of human embryonic stem cell research (hESR) in four Asian societies, and in doing so it contributes to the wider discussions on expertise and public inclusion. The article aims to add nuance to the concept of 'public consultation' by focusing on the contested meanings and relationships through which public roles and public debates are defined. The analysis seeks to go beyond a straightforward comparison by interpreting public discussions of hESR as being influenced by both local conditions and interconnected global science institutions. An adequate understanding of the public participation in debates on science requires the analysis of (a) particular reasons for scientific issues to require public discussion; (b) pressures of transnational forces; (c) variability of publics relevant to bioethical regulation; and, (d) the effects of institutionalization of bioethics. This study uses data from fieldwork conducted between 2006 and 2010 in four Asian countries. Most of the interviews were conducted in the local languages and concerned various kinds of public participation in bioethics activities, as well as the views of stem cell scientists on the need to involve the public in discussions on the acceptability of their research.

Ethics in stem cell research

Stem cells have constituted a revolution in regenerative medicine and cancer therapies by providing the possibility of generating multiple therapeutically useful cell types that could be used for treating some of genetic and degenerative disorders. However, human embryonic stem cell research raises few ethical and political controversies because of its involvement in destruction of human embryos. The ethical issues in human embryonic stem cell research encompasses not only with question of the ethics of destroying human embryos, but also with questions about complicity of researchers in destruction of embryos, moral distinction between creating embryos for research purposes and creating them for reproductive ends and the permissibility of cloning human embryos to harvest stem cells. Bangladesh should formulate its own regulations justifying its stand regarding this matter. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/bioethics.v3i1.10867 Bangladesh Journal of Bioethics 2012; 3(1):13-18

Human induced pluripotent stem cells—from mechanisms to clinical applications

Human pluripotent stem cells hold great promise for basic research and regenerative medicine due to their inherent property to propagate infinitely, while maintaining the potential to differentiate into any given cell type of the human body. Since the first derivation in 1998, pluripotent human embryonic stem cells (ESCs) have been studied intensively, and although these cells provoke ethical and immune rejection concerns, translation of human ESC research into the clinics has been initiated. The generation of embryonic stem cell-like human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) from somatic cells by virus-mediated overexpression of distinct sets of reprogramming factors (OCT4, SOX2, KLF4, and c-MYC, or OCT4, SOX2, NANOG, and LIN28) in 2007 has opened up further opportunities in the field. While circumventing the major disputes associated with human ESCs, iPSCs offer the same advantages and, in addition, new perspectives for personalized medicine. This review summarizes technical advances toward the generation of potentially clinically relevant human iPSCs. We also highlight key molecular events underlying the process of cellular reprogramming and discuss inherent features of iPSCs, including genome instability and epigenetic memory. Furthermore, we will give an overview of particular envisaged human iPSC applications and point out which improvements are yet to come and what has been achieved so far.

Growing Stem Cells: The Impact of Federal Funding Policy on the U.S. Scientific Frontier

AbstractThis paper articulates a citation‐based approach to science policy evaluation and employs that approach to investigate the impact of the United States’ 2001 policy regarding the federal funding of human embryonic stem cell (hESC) research. We evaluate the impact of the policy on the level of U.S. hESC research, the U.S. position at the knowledge frontier, and the strategic response of U.S. scientists. Consistent with recent research on the science of science and innovation policy, we employ a difference‐in‐differences approach using bibliometric data with the aim of analyzing the causal impact of the policy on cumulative research. Our estimates suggest that in the aftermath of the 2001 policy, U.S. production of hESC research lagged 35 to 40 percent behind anticipated levels. However, this relative decline was largely concentrated in the years 2001 to 2003 and ameliorated over time. The rebound in U.S. hESC research after 2003 was driven by contributions by researchers at elite U.S. institutions and U.S. researchers who collaborated with international partners. The results suggest that scientists respond strategically to research funding restrictions and that modest science policy shifts can have a significant influence on the within‐country composition of research and the pattern of global research collaboration.

Stem Cell Research, Regulatory Regimes, and Citizens’ “Calculus of Consent” in the European Union

What factors affect support for the development of human embryonic stem cell (hESC) research? Ordered logit analysis of responses to a 2005 Eurobarometer survey finds that Europeans with greater trust in the European Union and national hESC regulatory systems report significantly more support for hESC research. Higher levels of religiosity and concern for the moral status of the fetus reduce support for hESC research, while citizens more interested in politics, those getting their news from the print media, more highly educated respondents, and those reporting higher knowledge about stem cells tend to be more supportive of the technique. Nevertheless, the objectively more knowledgeable citizens exhibit less consistency in their support.

The New York Stem Cell Foundation: Accelerating Cures Through Stem Cell Research

Seven years ago, I was inspired by the enormous potential of stem cells to cure diabetes and many other devastating diseases. I saw that the promise of stem cell research stood in stark contrast to the negative federal political climate and the general lack of government support for stem cell research. Several leaders in the field, including Dr. Harold Varmus, Dr. DougMelton, andDr. Paul Nurse, were enthusiastic about this new area.With their encouragement and that of several others, I cofounded the New York Stem Cell Foundation (NYSCF) in 2005 to use private philanthropy to stimulate stem cell research. NYSCF opened its privately funded stem cell laboratory inNewYork City inMarch 2006 and initially facilitated a collaboration between Columbia University and the Harvard Stem Cell Institute. Researchers at Harvard had the tools to attempt somatic cell nuclear transfer, but legal restrictions in Massachusettsmade it difficult to perform their research. Moreover, critical types of experiments could not be performed in federally funded laboratories at the universities, so researchers at these two institutions turned to theNYSCF laboratories to carry out this groundbreaking research. NYSCF became known as a laboratory where scientists could conduct cutting-edge human embryonic stem cell research free of federal restrictions. The NYSCF laboratory has become a full research institute and is 12 times as large as when it opened in 2006, employingmore than 40 full-time researchers. The mission of NYSCF is to accelerate cures for major diseases through collaborative stem cell research. We think that stem cells are the most promising medical opportunity of our time and see NYSCF as a critical catalyst for the best scientists in the world to perform the cutting-edge research to find cures and treatments for those we love. The urgency of our mission is particularly personal to me, as one of my sons has type 1 diabetes and I lost my mother and father to cancer and heart disease. Another aspect of NYSCF’s core mission is to expand the field of stem cell research itself. In addition to direct support of research, our Innovators Programprovides fellowships for postdoctoral researchers and for early career investigators. Each fall we convene what has become the preeminent annual translational stem cell research conference.We also conduct awide range of public programs. Because we are primarily privately supported, our ability to fund research and conduct our other programs is unaffected by the frustrating and debilitating cycles of off-again, on-again, offagain NIH support. However, most of our collaborators are not as lucky, and there is no satisfaction for us in continuing toworkwhen somany of our colleagues and collaborators cannot.

Preface

Preface

Stem Cell-Based Therapies: Promises, Obstacles, Discordance, and the Agora

Stem cell research has entered the public consciousness through the media. Proponents and opponents of all such research, or of human embryonic stem cell research specifically, engage in heated exchanges in the modern public forum where stakeholders negotiate, the agora. One common claim that emerges from the fray is that a particular type of stem cell research should be pursued as the most promising path toward the reduction of suffering and untimely death for all of humanity. Upon evaluation, experimental data regarding the potential role of stem cells in regenerative therapies for three conditions-spinal cord injury, type 1 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease-tell distinct, complex, and inconclusive stories. Further analyses in this article incorporate realistic considerations of a broad range of relevant factors: limited funding for biomedical research, media motives, the discordance hypothesis of evolutionary medicine, the relationship between religion and science, medical care in developing nations, and culture wars over abortion. Holistic investigation inspired by the current agora conversation supports the need to drastically change interactions regarding stem cell research so that its potential to benefit humanity may be more fully realized.

How to depolarise the ethical debate over human embryonic stem cell research (and other ethical debates too!)

The contention of this paper is that the current ethical debate over embryonic stem cell research is polarised to an extent that is not warranted by the underlying ethical conflict....

Expand and Regularize Federal Funding for Human Pluripotent Stem Cell Research

Human embryonic stem cell (hESC) research has sparked incredible scientific and public excitement as well as significant controversy. Because they are pluripotent, hESCs can in theory be differentiated into any type of cell found in the human body. Thus they evoke great enthusiasm about potential clinical applications. They are controversial because the method used to derive hESC lines destroys a 2-4 day old human embryo. Research and discoveries using human pluripotent stem cells are simultaneously cutting edge contributions to fundamental understanding and potentially invaluable sources of new treatments for some our most devastating diseases and injuries. Stem cell science represents an important case of “use-inspired basic research,” a class of scientific work that Donald Stokes (1997) compellingly argued could be used to reframe the increasingly fragile “contract” between science and society (Guston & Kenniston 1994). In this case, however, federal funding restrictions, legal challenges, and public controversy imposed on the field's development. Thus, hESC research also offers a “laboratory” for examining the effects high level science policy decisions have on the trajectory of an emerging scientific field. Today, nearly fifteen years after the discoveries that made human pluripotent stem cell science feasible, continued federal funding for this research is highly uncertain. We believe that federal funding for human pluripotent stem cell science should be expanded and stabilized through legislation. Explaining why requires that we begin with a simplified, schematic history of the field.

A Metaphysical and Ethical Defense of Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research

A Metaphysical and Ethical Defense of Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research

Human embryonic stem cell research in Ireland: Ethical and legal issues

The paper examines the ethical and legal background to the current debate in the Republic of Ireland on the use of human embryos and embryonic stem cells (hESC) for research. How should public policy be formed to balance the potential health benefits of such research against the moral values of 21st century Irish society? The legislature has failed to address the constitutional ambiguities that have contributed to the current uncertainty as to the legal position of hESC research in Ireland. In view of the challenges posed by hESC research, it is argued that an appropriate regulatory framework should be adopted in Ireland, which will bring a degree of certainty as to what is and is not permitted. In adopting such a framework, it is suggested that hESC research should be permitted on donated supernumerary embryos up to day-14 post fertilisation.

Stem cells: The cell division

Oliver Brüstle fought for more than a decade to pursue and patent human embryonic stem-cell research in Germany. Now his efforts have backfired.

The Public, Political Parties, and Stem-Cell Research

The 2012 presidential election campaign has created uncertainty about federal funding for human embryonic stem-cell research, with most Republican candidates suggesting that they would substantially reduce such funding. Where do U.S. voters stand on this issue? This Perspective summarizes polling results.