Unproven Stem Cell ‘Therapy’ Blinds Three Patients at Florida Clinic

Science Daily  March 15, 2017  Stanford University Medical Center

Jeffrey Goldberg and his colleagues examined the cases of three women who were blinded after undergoing an unproven stem cell treatment for macular degeneration.

Credit: Norbert von der Groeben

Three people with macular degeneration were blinded after undergoing an unproven stem cell treatment that was touted as a clinical trial in 2015 at a clinic in Florida. Within a week following the treatment, the patients experienced

Is the 14-day Limit on Growing Embryos Out of Date?

BioEdge April 3, 2017  Michael Cook

Both in the US and UK, growing human embryos more than 14 days in a laboratory is banned. Recent developments suggest that it may be possible to grow them for longer and a number of scientists are lobbying to extend the limit. They contend that the limit is out-of-date and too restrictive.

But what if they could create embryo-like structures without creating complete embryos? This possibility is completely unregulated.…

Dutch Health Council Authorizes the Creation of Human Embryos for Research

BioEdge  April 3, 2017  Xavier Symons

The Dutch Health Council (Gezondheidsraad) has recommended that scientists be allowed to create embryos specifically for research purposes, in a move that will pave the way for embryo gene editing research in the Netherlands.

In a report submitted Tuesday to Minister for Health Edith Schippers, the Health Council recommended that the government abandon the current regulations that only allow research scientists to use embryos left over from procedures such …