Noted stem cell scientist Irving Weissman (Stanford University, pictured above) capped an engaging conference at Wesleyan on "Stem cells into the clinic". Weissman presented a series of experiments and clinical trials which illustrated the tremendous promise of stem cells as a therapy for a variety of devastating human diseases. For example, using a mouse model for the auto-immune disease juvenile diabetes, he presented data demonstrating that the disease could be cured by replacing the entire immune system with a transplant of bone marrow derived stem cells. Much research and many clinical trials need to be done before the safety and efficacy of such a treatment is demonstrated in human patients. However, Weissman's strong conviction that stem cells would cure disease, his engaging style, and his infectious enthusiasm all energized the audience.
Earlier in the afternoon, in a panel discussion on "Stem cell research in the Obama Era", Steve Latham, Deputy Director of the Yale Bioethics program, explained that the election of Obama had not brought with it as many changes in stem cell research policy as research advocates had hoped for. Latham speculated that the Obama administration might not want to make changes in research policy which were so radical that they would not survive potential changes in administrations.
Lori Gruen, Philosophy professor at Wesleyan, in the same panel, highlighted the issue of 'informed consent', in relation to the use of excess embryos left at fertility clinics by couples using in vitro fertilization. Gruen explained the difficulty of ensuring that donors fully understand both the nature of the research and all the potential uses to which the stem cells derived from their embryo might be put to.
The audience was quite engaged in the talks about science as well as those about ethics, every speaker received about a dozen questions from the audience. It was a lively and informative day at Wesleyan.
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Disclosure: I am a biology professor at Wesleyan, my teaching and research is not on stem cells, but it is in a closely related area.
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