BARACK OBAMA ON STEM CELL
BARACK OBAMA IS A CHAMPION OF STEM CELL RESEARCH
Barack Obama believes we owe it to the American public to explore the potential
of stem cells to treat the millions of people su ering from debilitating and lifethreatening diseases. Stem cells hold the promise of treatments and cures for
more than 70 major diseases and conditions such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s
disease, spinal cord injuries, and diabetes. As many as 100 million Americans may
benefit from embryonic stem cell research. As president, Obama would:
Promote Embryonic Stem Cell Research
Embryonic stem cells remain unmatched in their potential for treatment of a wide variety of diseases and health conditions. Obama has been a long-term supporter of greater stem cell research. He introduced legislation in the Illinois Senate that specifically permitted embryonic stem cell research in Illinois.
Support Medical Advancement and Innovation
Restrictions on federal funding for stem cell research have led top researchers in the field to move to other countries. Obama believes every American should have access to potential new cures. He supports greater federal government funding on a wider array of stem cell lines.
Expand the Number of Stem Cell Lines Available for Research
There are over 400,000 embryos being stored in facilities throughout the United States, the majority of which are reserved for infertile couples. However, many of these embryos will go unused, destined for permanent storage in a freezer or disposal. Obama is a cosponsor of legislation that would allow research on more stem cells derived from embryos donated for in vitro fertilization.
Ensure Ethical Standards
Obama understands stem cell research needs to be conducted with the highest ethical standards. Obama introduced legislation in the Illinois Senate to ensure that only those embryos that would otherwise be discarded could be used and that donors would have to provide written consent for the use of the embryos.
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Sunrise on Stem-cell research in USA
Politepreneur(R) President Barack Obama is to lift ban on stem cell research. According to the White house aide, the president will shortly issue an executive order to lift an eight-year ban embryonic stem cell research imposed by the President George W. Bush.
Former president Bush reduced federal funding for stem cell research in 2001. Embryonic stem cells are the most basic human cells which can develop into any type of cell in the body and is a new frontier in advancing human health care.
This is one of the promise that the president Obama made during his presidential campaign and in his inaugural address last month he again promised to return scientific research on the right track for human health.
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) already have taken steps forward in advancing stem-cell related drug/cure developments. FDA last month cleared the way for the first trial to see if human embryonic stem cells could treat people safely.
Ryan Baidya
California Takshila University
Former president Bush reduced federal funding for stem cell research in 2001. Embryonic stem cells are the most basic human cells which can develop into any type of cell in the body and is a new frontier in advancing human health care.
This is one of the promise that the president Obama made during his presidential campaign and in his inaugural address last month he again promised to return scientific research on the right track for human health.
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) already have taken steps forward in advancing stem-cell related drug/cure developments. FDA last month cleared the way for the first trial to see if human embryonic stem cells could treat people safely.
Ryan Baidya
California Takshila University
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Biotech and Obama-Stimulus package
Politepreneur(R)-President Barack Obama President Barack Obama, savoring his first major victory in Congress, said Saturday that newly passed $787 billion economic stimulus legislation marks a "major milestone on our road to recovery."
Speaking in his weekly radio and Internet address, Obama said, "I will sign this legislation into law shortly, and we'll begin making the immediate investments necessary to put people back to work doing the work America needs done."
One of the key areas is to see great advancement and job creation is the Life-sciences sector. President also received a multimillion dollars-ok for his IT-health care projects.
Following article describes potential boom in the biotech/pharma sector.
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Scientists see boom for biotechnology
by Jean-Louis Santini
CHICAGO (AFP) – The promising potential of biotechnology remains largely unused, especially in such crucial areas as healthcare and production of environmentally friendly fuels, scientists said.
The experts gathered here at an annual conference of the American Association for the Advancement of Science predicted that biotechnology was likely to experience a boom in coming years.
"What you have seen over the last 35 years of biotech are tremendous applications, immediate applications of biotech starting with recombinant therapeutics all the way through," said Drew Endy, assistant professor of bioengineering at Stanford University.
He said the phenomenon can be explained by the fact that no one thus far has even "scratched the surface" of the promising science.
But Endy argued that science was moving forward fast. In only six years, he said, the gene sequencing project went from reading a bacteria genome to reading a human genome.
Last year, researchers at the Venter Institute built a bacteria genome from scratch, he noted.
"I bet we will be able to construct a human chromosome, and the yeast genome," Endy said, offering a six-year forecast. "It sounds a little bit crazy because it's an exponential improvement in the tools."
He said there were lots of opportunities to take those tools forward.
"We are advocating now a national initiative in synthetic biology that would include in part a route map for getting better in building genetic material, constructing DNA from scratch and assembling it into genes and genomes," the scientist pointed out.
Jay Keasling, professor of biochemical engineering at the University of California at Berkeley, said his project was using a microbe in order to produce a drug while significantly reducing its cost.
"We anticipate in one or two years that the optimization process will be completed and that production of the drug will commence and have it in the hands of people in Africa shortly thereafter," Keasling said.
Meanwhile, Christina Smolke, assistant professor of bioengineering at Stanford University spoke about her efforts to design molecules that go into the cell and analyse the cellular state before delivering a therapeutic effect.
"Our goal is to make more effective therapies by taking advantage of the natural capabilities of our immune system and introducing slight modifications in cases where it is not doing what we would like it to do," she said.
Smolke said she hoped to translate her technologies into intelligent cellular therapeutics for glioma cancer patients in the next five years.
"That's a very optimistic view ...but so far things are moving quickly," she pointed out.
-----------------------------------------------
Source: AP (Associated Press)
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20090214/sc_afp/ussciencebiotechnology_20090214122650
Speaking in his weekly radio and Internet address, Obama said, "I will sign this legislation into law shortly, and we'll begin making the immediate investments necessary to put people back to work doing the work America needs done."
One of the key areas is to see great advancement and job creation is the Life-sciences sector. President also received a multimillion dollars-ok for his IT-health care projects.
Following article describes potential boom in the biotech/pharma sector.
--------------------------------------------------
Scientists see boom for biotechnology
by Jean-Louis Santini
CHICAGO (AFP) – The promising potential of biotechnology remains largely unused, especially in such crucial areas as healthcare and production of environmentally friendly fuels, scientists said.
The experts gathered here at an annual conference of the American Association for the Advancement of Science predicted that biotechnology was likely to experience a boom in coming years.
"What you have seen over the last 35 years of biotech are tremendous applications, immediate applications of biotech starting with recombinant therapeutics all the way through," said Drew Endy, assistant professor of bioengineering at Stanford University.
He said the phenomenon can be explained by the fact that no one thus far has even "scratched the surface" of the promising science.
But Endy argued that science was moving forward fast. In only six years, he said, the gene sequencing project went from reading a bacteria genome to reading a human genome.
Last year, researchers at the Venter Institute built a bacteria genome from scratch, he noted.
"I bet we will be able to construct a human chromosome, and the yeast genome," Endy said, offering a six-year forecast. "It sounds a little bit crazy because it's an exponential improvement in the tools."
He said there were lots of opportunities to take those tools forward.
"We are advocating now a national initiative in synthetic biology that would include in part a route map for getting better in building genetic material, constructing DNA from scratch and assembling it into genes and genomes," the scientist pointed out.
Jay Keasling, professor of biochemical engineering at the University of California at Berkeley, said his project was using a microbe in order to produce a drug while significantly reducing its cost.
"We anticipate in one or two years that the optimization process will be completed and that production of the drug will commence and have it in the hands of people in Africa shortly thereafter," Keasling said.
Meanwhile, Christina Smolke, assistant professor of bioengineering at Stanford University spoke about her efforts to design molecules that go into the cell and analyse the cellular state before delivering a therapeutic effect.
"Our goal is to make more effective therapies by taking advantage of the natural capabilities of our immune system and introducing slight modifications in cases where it is not doing what we would like it to do," she said.
Smolke said she hoped to translate her technologies into intelligent cellular therapeutics for glioma cancer patients in the next five years.
"That's a very optimistic view ...but so far things are moving quickly," she pointed out.
-----------------------------------------------
Source: AP (Associated Press)
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20090214/sc_afp/ussciencebiotechnology_20090214122650
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