Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

First Embryonic Stem Cell Clinical Trial Imminent

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the human-guinea-pig dept.

An anonymous reader writes "California-based Geron has announced that the first embryonic stem cell trial may be in the not-so-distant future. Tom Okarma, Geron's CEO, recently announced that the company will be seeking permission from the FDA to begin clinical trials. From the article: 'Geron's plan is to treat people that have acute spinal injuries with oligodendrocyte progenitor cells grown from human ESCs. Oligodendrocyte cells support neurons in the brain and spine by sheathing them in myelin, a fat that helps neurons to transmit signals.'"

9 of 224 comments (clear)

  1. Move along... by despik · · Score: 3, Funny

    ...there's nothing to sheathe here.

    (I'm sorry.)

    --
    "I seem to have mastered a certain amount of control over physical reality."
    1. Re:Move along... by bsartist · · Score: 4, Funny

      It takes a lot of backbone to make a joke like that. I'm amazed someone had the spine to do it.

      --
      Lost: Sig, white with black letters. No collar. Reward if found!
    2. Re:Move along... by Guano_Jim · · Score: 2, Funny

      The nerve of some people.

      --
      3D Printing Tips and Tricks at Zheng3.com
  2. Re:Overlords by roman_mir · · Score: 2, Funny

    In Soviet Russia that would be Doctor playing gods.

    --
    You can't handle the truth.
  3. Re:Next up... by Oldsmobile · · Score: 3, Funny

    "Personally, I think we should just cut to the chase and start growing humans specifically to harvest the organs. Why not? As long as they don't achieve consciousness, what's the harm?

    We already have those. They are called motorcyclists. Emergencey response teams don't call them "organ doners" for nothing.

    --
    Some say he is made with ascii, others that he is eyeballed daily by millions. All we know is, he is known as the Sig
  4. Re:babybooms, as we age, will need these technolog by Quirk · · Score: 4, Funny
    "...we can reprogram cells and easily as we write programs today,

    Sure that's a third eye on your elbow, but it's a feature, for free too.

    --
    "Academicians are more likely to share each other's toothbrush than each other's nomenclature."
    Cohen
  5. Re:Just a thought.... by dfedfe · · Score: 2, Funny

    Is the girl ugly?

  6. My fellow republicans ... by Surt · · Score: 4, Funny

    My fellow republicans, it is time we got out our pitchforks and torches. The mad scientists are going too far, and frankly, I think we all know we're overdue for some lynchings. God didn't put us on this earth to suck cells out of unborn babies to heal the sick, but he gave us fire for good reason, and it is time we used some of it!

    --
    "Who is the Journal of Quantum Physics going to believe?" --Stephen Hawking
  7. Re:Result of Propostion 71? by tsotha · · Score: 3, Funny

    Having worked for the government, I can assure you with virtually 100% certainty it's too early for prop 71 money to have done anything but buy office furniture. Check back in about five years.