The ethical argument’s been raging for a couple of years now. With all the miraculous things scientists can do with stem cells–especially the fresh, eminently moldable embryonic stem cells (the use of which cause outrage among many traditional religious groups)–it’s been a sore spot that the U.S. has banned use of them if they come from embryos–even ones that are going to be destroyed anyway because they’re “extras” from in vitro fertilization efforts.

I’ve written in previous posts here and here (use the “search” box to find others) about how many other countries have no such concerns about embryonic stem cells and how this could easily predicate a fall in U.S. competitiveness in this arena. Now comes the discovery that blood from the embryonic cord yields embryonic stem cells that bypass the usual ethical objections.

And I was just remarking on how changing the way you think about something often leads to dramatic discoveries. It reminds me of the time I was writing a white paper on the subject of asthma–everything I was learning led me to think of the research as both a puzzle and a map. Fortunately, Valdis Krebs who created the mapping software sold at www.orgnet.com helped me create a map that even the doctors were amazed to find clearly demonstrated how current medicine was attacking the problem at a certain place on the map–whereas the client’s research was attacking it at a point one step earlier on the map.

Dreaming down a different path this time means that now there’s a way to use embryonic stem cells without crossing the ethical border. What a miracle–for future beneficiaries of the therapies–and also for U.S. scientists.

They found out by examining the systems of a dozen legally hunted bears that the pollutants in the bodies of those who ate spawning salmon were “profoundly” different than those who ate mostly berries, nuts and insects. The salmon-eating bears showed up with “90 percent of the PCBs researchers found, 70 percent of the pesticides and 85 percent of the less-brominated flame retardants.”

The concepts of responsible coporate practices and ethics in business take on new and deeper meanings when we realize how much smaller the planet grows every day–evidence indicates most of the pollution in these salmon came from Asia. Read more about PCBs here.

And I don’t think I need to give a reference to prove how much we don’t want pesticides and flame retardants in our bears, our salmon, or our fellow human beings.

Fortunately, scientific discoveries themselves are neutral, no matter why they got funded. It’s the uses to which a discovery or development is put that imbue it with moral or ethical value.

So even though the government is passing out $4.1 million in SBIR funds for research on a single potential source of anti-terrorist activity–identifying anthrax currently requires days-long lab tests–that will help medical facilities perform tests faster and in greater quantities, the company says the research will eventually prove “useful for key clinical and industrial applications including flu testing and detection of pathogens in food.”

The funding is going to a company called Genomic Profiling Systems Inc. (even the company name evokes thoughts of defensiveness) to “enable prototype development of an automated portable MultiPath(TM) instrument and consumable test cartridges designed for rapid, high capacity, easy to implement emergency diagnostics.” Expected to be significantly faster and more sensitive than standard commercial strip tests, this item could well control the spread of a virus–like keeping an epidemic like bird flu from turning into a pandemic.

Not surprising. Based on my observations of friends and family over the years, it seems unfair but it happens that as we age, so-and-so easily keeps a fairly trim figure while so-and-so somehow can’t keep the midsection from spreading. I remember years ago asking one woman who was well over 40 how much she exercised to keep her figure. Her answer was, “I don’t. And my mother was like this til she died at nearly 80, and she never did either.”

Well, here it is. Scientists have now discovered a gene variation that’s linked with better mobility for older individuals who exercise. That means you may not even be able to exercise to keep yourself moving because the genetic code dictates you’ll have difficulty walking. And like the guy who for years after a first hear attack sticks religiously to a fat-free, no-salt, no-sugar vegan diet in an attempt to reverse heart disease–but then has another heart attack–you might feel you’ve gotten a raw deal.

And if the world were anything like what we all recognize as “fair,” you’d be right.

What an idea. Trying to head cancer off early by stepping backwards on the map that shows the process by which it develops, scientists are looking at stopping gene expression. They’ve discovered that synthetic peptide nucleic acids (PNAs) or RNAs can interact directly with genomic DNA and block the expression of genes.

“Antigene agents recognize genomic DNA when its guard is down. Single-stranded DNA is exposed momentarily when RNA polymerase initiates transcription by opening an approximately 20-base-pair segment of double-stranded genomic DNA, resulting in a transcription start-site structure called the ‘open complex.’ Antigene agents of complementary sequence interact with one of the open complex’s single DNA strands, causing transcription and gene expression to be blocked.
Because every gene has a transcription start site, the technique may be widely applicable. So far, Corey and coworkers have been able to inhibit the expression of nine genes (of nine tested) in cancer cells.”

Another avenue of investigation that may one day lead us to where we can eliminate the prehistoric and cruel approach to treating cancer that we call chemotherapy.

The headline hit me like a ton of bricks. Instead of the horrors of chemotherapy–which yields only a poor prognosis anyway in these cases–researchers have found that transplanting stem cells borrowed from a close relative gives kids with acute lymphoblastic leukemia a much better chance of maintaining remission.

Yes, it has to be given during a period of remission and there are other conditions. I’m not up on every research alleyway that’s being explored, but it seems to me this is a new way of thinking about cancer treatment.

This is how doors open–when we start dreaming down different paths. Read more here.

The Ohio group BioEnterprise has ramped up its activities recently–publishing a glossy magazine about the state’s bio-enterprises and issuing regular reports on how the state is doing vis-a-vis other midwest states. This month the news is that Minnesota, Ohio and Missouri are ahead in the second quarter.

Let’s hope that our bio-promoters and governments will be wise and take into account the long-term health of the biosciences in the state as well as who’s the most popular today. Just as U.S. corporations are at last answering the call to think of the long-range “health” of their companies as just as important as near-term profits–the Japanese have seen it this way for decades–so too, in the race to win the most bioscience business, a balanced view is critical.

Like a company that sprints to the short-term revenue finish line by sacrificing customer service and employee satisfaction, a too-intense focus on who’s ahead can lead governments to trade too high, give up too much that they can’t pay back later.

But at the start, it’s good to prove yourself a worthy competitor–and it’s nice to see that Ohio’s promoters have finally stepped up to the plate.

So many good stories (about race-related stroke survival odds, acupuncture for tension headaches, a powerful new treatment against HIV)–too many to repeat here, so take a look at MedPage Today. It’s a news service that emails you about regular news (you can even specify which news by specialty) and sends a special email when there’s breaking news.

Just got notice that Bush has signed a bill that will allow people to report medical errors confidentially and yet protect doctors from liability. Sounds like it might stir up some controversy. I think it makes sense to LIMIT liability for errors–after all, there isn’t a human being who doesn’t make errors–and perhaps set up a mediation service that would help patients and doctors circumvent the normally hideous mess of litigation. It’s the lawsuit-pushing contingent that plays such a huge part in the cost of malpractice insurance–and therefore, the cost to deliver medical care.

Stumbled on this item I’d marked back in February to write about (somehow got lost in the avalanche of email–and then clicked a wrong combination of keys and lost the whole post.

Sigh.

Anyway, Australian scientists discover that the HIV peptide-coated blood cells they wanted to test with, actually had a vaccine effect–greatly boosting immune response in monkeys and mice.

New promise and hope for holding HIV and other chronic infections at bay.

Over-60 folks with heart conditions are often prescribed coumadin, a blood thinner/anticoagulant that’s supposed to help prevent blood clots and thus supposedly lessen the risk of heart attack. Now comes research written up in the Archives of Internal Medicine saying that if you’re a good candidate for coumadin, you’re not only twice as likely to have a blood clot, but you’re also three times as likely to have a major hemmorrhage–and these kinds of medications can increase that risk. Read the stats
here. Just ain’t no winnin’ the game clean.

And then I think of the restrictions you must put on yourself when you’re taking coumadin–my dad had quadruple bypass at age 70 and lived a much-toned down life until 80, I honestly don’t know how I’ll feel about it if somebody tells me one day that I have to take it for the rest of my life.

A little history of this drug:

“Coumadin (warfarin) was invented at the University of Wisconsin in 1949. It was initially used as a mammalian pesticide since excessive anticoagulation will produce bleeding leading to shock and death. Most current pesticides use a slightly different chemical that has a time release characteristic rather than a one dose effect. However, this drug has been used extensively since the early 1950’s in humans for anticoagulation. Close monitoring is required with the use of this drug to ensure that the right dose is administered. This drug interferes with Vitamin K. Consequently, any change in Vitamin K intake can change the dosage of coumadin. I couldn’t find a history of the animal pesticides. However, it is manufactured by Dupont: # 302-992-5000. They are usually very helpful.”

Many doctors seem convinced that coumadin is benign, but as those who dislike the idea of taking drugs for life have probably already intuited, it’s more likely that with coumadin we’re actually being given a choice between two equally serious dangers.