AdultStemCell.com

I have been waiting for stem cell research to be permitted again in a way that may actually help us, so am delighted that President Obama has reversed the ban on federal funding. I do not believe that there will be anything that happens in my lifetime that will change things materially for me, but I hope research will help our younger generations.

The bishops of the United States will meet in San Antonio next month and there is a new agenda item for them: Deal with the fallout from the controversy surrounding Notre Dame’s bestowal of an honorary degree upon the President.

At the center of that debate has been a document the bishops issued in 2004 entitled “Catholics in Political Life.” As the title indicates, it was unclear to many of us, including Notre Dame’s President, Father John Jenkins, C.S.C., why a document so entitled would even apply to President Obama who is not a Catholic at all. And the text was issued by a committee set up to focus on (and the text only refers to) “Catholic politicians.” Bishop John D’Arcy replied that if there was any question, Father Jenkins should have asked him. To clarify for everyone, however, the bishops need to decide if the document and the strictures it contemplates are meant to apply to everyone or just to Catholics.

Most opponents of Notre Dame’s decision to honor the President focused on one part of the text: “The Catholic community and Catholic institutions should not honor those who act in defiance of our fundamental moral principles.” Now, it is a fair question whether Barack Obama, in promising policies that seek to reduce the abortion rate, is acting in defiance of anyone’s fundamental moral principles. (The abortion reduction language he used throughout the campaign and again at Notre Dame certainly annoys and angers some pro-choice activists.) There was a time when Catholics could be skeptical of the claim by some that they were “pro-choice but not pro-abortion” but Obama seems to making that a distinction with a difference.

It is also the case that virtually every American politician acts in defiance of some fundamental principle of the Catholic Church. Former Vice-President Dick Cheney is justifying the use of torture (and his arguments are echoed on EWTN) by invoking the age old maxim that the ends justify the means, but that is a utilitarian principle not a Catholic one. Nor is the recourse to the category of intrinsic evil much help here. Lots of things are intrinsically evil including birth control and as I have pointed out before there is not a mayor nor a governor who does not sign a budget that funds some form of birth control policy.

Commentators have tended to ignore the second sentence in the document’s bullet point on the conferral of honors: “They should not be given awards, honors or platforms which would suggest support for their actions.” Now, I thought Father Jenkins made it very clear, both in his initial announcement in March and at the commencement ceremony on Sunday, that Notre Dame was not honoring the President because of his positions on abortion and embryonic stem cell research but for his other notable accomplishments. The bishops may want to strike this sentence and say – do not honor these guys period. But, any fair-minded person would be wrong to fault Father Jenkins for violating this document when you read it in its entirety.

So, the bishops have their work cut out for themselves at San Antonio. I suspect that at the end of the day, the authority of the local bishop in such matters will, and should, be highlighted. As Archbishop Donald Wuerl of Washington, one of the most thoughtful and theologically sophisticated bishops in the country, wrote in his weekly column last week discussing this very document, “While everyone may not agree with how an individual bishop applies this principle for institutions within his own diocese, it, nonetheless, is the bishop’s call.” That may not make everyone happy – indeed, it won’t make everyone happy. But, the central role of the bishop as teacher within his diocese is more important than any political point. Yes, some bishops may turn their universities into intellectual ghettoes, allowed to invite no one with a differing or provocative position to campus. Others will follow James Joyce’s view: “Here comes everybody!” But, as Wuerl said, at the end of the day, in a hierarchical church, it’s the bishop’s call.

Leading pharmaceutical and biotech companies are drawing on Singapore’s integrated network of public-sector and academic institutes to enhance their R&D productivity, leverage academic insights and diversify risks. Located at the heart of Asia with a population base that is representative of key Asian ethnic groups, Singapore provides a home-base of innovation for companies to test and develop new solutions for Asia and beyond.

Recent announcements of public-private partnerships (PPP) include GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals committing US$1.3 million in vaccine and process development with Singapore’s Bioprocessing Technology Institute (BTI); Lilly Singapore Centre for Drug Discovery (LSCDD) teaming up with Singapore’s National Neuroscience Institute (NNI), and the Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences (SICS) to advance drug discovery using adult brain tumor stem cells.

AstraZeneca announced its collaboration with the National Cancer Centre Singapore (NCCS) and the National University Hospital (NUH) in pre-clinical and clinical development activities of anti-cancer compounds to build up AstraZeneca’s drug development capabilities in Asia; Singapore Immunology Network (SIgN) partnered European biotechs – Humalys SAS and Cytos Biotechnology Ltd – to develop antibodies for combating and managing viruses prevalent in Asia including hand, foot and mouth disease.

Massachusetts-based biotech, FORMA Therapeutics, has also set up its first overseas lab in Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University (NTU). An emerging biotech company, Forma seeks to integrate important new advances in biology and chemistry to unlock the best targets and pathways that genomic medicine has revealed. FORMA will be collaborating with the Experimental Therapeutics Centre of Singapore (ETC) to co-discover novel therapeutics.

“There is no doubt Asia will soon be the next centre of gravity for the global pharma industry. While the diverse Asian market presents tremendous opportunities, it remains challenging to navigate the region’s complexities and harness its opportunities. Singapore provides one of the best locations in Asia, which would enable us to conduct our targeted research, collaborate with public institutions and tap into regional capabilities to supplement our activities,” said Dr Steven Tregay, Chief Executive Officer, FORMA Therapeutics.

Public-Sector Resources Allow for End-to-End Research Activities

As companies worldwide seek to develop new therapies and diagnostics to expand their pipeline of innovative products, PPPs represent an effective way for companies to enhance their R&D productivity and accelerate commercialisation efforts.

Singapore’s advanced research infrastructure, base of more than 2,800 public sector researchers and business-friendly economic policies are fuelling the rapid growth of PPPs in biomedical sciences. Companies may leverage on Singapore’s extensive resources and cross-institutional capabilities to handle complex bench-to-bed and bed-to-bench translational projects. These resources include dedicated clinical bio-imaging research, bio-safety, and early-phase trial facilities. Companies can also tap into the preclinical predictive disease models and platform technologies in genomics and bio-imaging available in Singapore.

Mr. Yeoh Keat Chuan, Executive Director, Biomedical Sciences, Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB) said: “The EDB provides a one-stop shop to link companies to our integrated network of public-sector research and medical institutes. Singapore is also strategically located at the heart of Asia, which makes us an ideal control tower to oversee R&D activities across the heterogeneous landscape in Asia, especially in translational medicine and Asian diseases. Coupled with our pro-business policies and focused efforts to be future-ready, Singapore is well-positioned to be a strategic research partner for the industry and a home-base for innovation in Asia.”

Singapore’s Biopolis: Asian Home-Base for R&D

The Biopolis, a 2.4 million square-foot research campus, is the icon of Singapore’s success in biomedical sciences. Co-locating global companies’ research operations with publicly funded research institutes, the Biopolis is imbued with a campus spirit to advance science and human healthcare via cross- disciplinary, public-private collaborations.

In recognition of this significant advantage, numerous companies have chosen to set up their Asian R&D operations at the Biopolis. Emerging biotech companies such as PharmaLogicals and SGAUSTRIA (formerly Austrianova) are located alongside leading pharmaceutical companies. A 400,000 square-foot Phase 2 expansion of the Biopolis launched in 2006 is already fully subscribed. Another 440,000 square feet of research space is being added and will be ready by 2010.

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) – A total of $5.5 million from the Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust will be given for adult stem cell research.

The trust board voted yesterday to make the contributions after hearing presentations about such research that is ongoing in Oklahoma.

Under the plan, the board will give $500,000 for a yearlong planning phase to determine how the money should be distributed, then award $1 million in grants each year for five years.

Dr. Stephen Prescott, the president of the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, says adult stem cells have the potential to treat ailments including cancer, cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

He says OMRF scientists are researching how to “back up” progression of adult cells, so that the cells can be reprogrammed for specific uses.

Adult stem cells are not taken from embryos.

Information from: The Oklahoman, http://www.newsok.com