Stem Cell Research in North Carolina

[intcvlcphlga]

Should North Carolina follow the lead of states like California and New Jersey and step in where the federal government falls short with state funding for stem cell research? With 3 nationally known medical and research centers at UNC, Wake Forest and Duke as well as the bio-tech in Research Triangle Park and Piedmont Triad Research Park, North Carolina seems like a good fit for stem cell research. It could go along way to continue to diversify and expand the economy of the Raleigh-Durham area as well as help Winston-Salem continue to re-invent its economy with a focus towards bio-tech and health services. What are you thoughts? Would this not be a better long-term investment of state tax dollars than the money the state gives to companies like Dell and FedEx to locate factories and distribution centers?

[MR-2]

IIRC recall the General Assembly started a committee or something to investigate the benefits of funding stem cell research here. I think if any southern state is going to do it, it'll be us.

[suburban george3]

I hope North Carolina will be progressive on this issue and fund stem cell research. This is an extremely promising area of research that can be the cure to many of the ills facing us today. This would be a good investment, I'd say better than Dell, but we also need to remember the quantity of jobs produced by an investment as well.

[DanRNC]

NC already has a significant amount of stem cell research. There is a company in Durham called Aldagen which is a leader in the therapeutic use of stem cells. Our department at Duke, however, has recently lost one of our top researchers in the field to Yale. I am currently in Toronto and have decided to do my post-doc up here as their attitude towards research is much more progressive than in the States including NC.

[voyager12]

I think there is a good chance of state funding of SC research in North Carolina. Raleigh is too close to the RTP for their not to be great pressure to support new research opportunities for the area . Easley does not seem to be opposed to research either.

[suburban george3]

I honestly feel most people are ready for this research to happen. While the morality and ethics may limit the extent to which it is done, it is work that needs to progress! However, it does seem that many politicians are erring on the side of the extreme right on this issue in order to preseve their chances in Nov. elections....

IMO

I do hope that are leaders realize the importance of this research and press it forward.

[NCtarheel]

I dont know about the situation in NC, but here the university is establishing a center to study other types of stem cells with the hope that the climate will change in the next 5-10 years and the center could reshift its focus. it's a sort of 'wink, wink', 'hush, hush' kind of thing. maybe there are/will be similar setups in NC.

[DanRNC]

Stem cell research has been going on for more than a decade with existing cell lines. The lay public is just getting wind of it now just like they think the biotech industry started last year. The main issue is derivation of new stem cell populations. The existing lines have been contaminated with mouse fibroblasts (used to help adhere these stem cells to culture dishes and provide growth factors) wich are co-cultured with the ES cells.

[DanRNC]

Recent news on Aldagen as previously mentioned.

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