A Harsher Look at California's Stem Cell Program: No More Cash Without Changes
By David Jensen, California Stem Cell Report [cites CGS' Pete Shanks] | 08. 23. 2018
California's $3 billion stem cell experiment received a host of accolades last week at a state legislative hearing, but one strong, critical voice was not heard in the proceedings.
That came from the Biopolitical Times, a blog operated by the Center for Genetics and Society of Berkeley, a longtime foe of the agency.
In a piece written by Pete Shanks, the agency was taken to task for a number of reasons. And he argued that it should not receive additional funds as it is presently constituted.
Shanks wrote,
"At one time, CIRM had a deserved reputation for funding buildings , some of them at private universities, and was heavily criticized for that, but the $270 million “major facilities” budget approved in 2008 has all been spent. Some of the conflict of interest scandals are largely in the past, though ripples persist , and some of the institutional ones remain; several universities that receive large grants are still represented on the board . But there has been a new regime in place (“CIRM 2.0”) for several...
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By Rob Stein, National Public Radio | 09.20.2018
Scientists say they have taken a potentially important — and possibly controversial — step toward creating human eggs in a lab dish.
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By Chronicle Editorial Board, San Francisco Chronicle | 09.11.2018
California’s pioneering decision to spend $3 billion on stem cell research isn’t producing cures after 14 years of work. Instead, it’s generating a widening scientific field that shows potential but not results.
It’s a frustrating shortcoming, especially as supporters of...
