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10 Years Stem Cell Network North Rhine Westphalia
1oth Anniversary
On April 15th, 2002 the NRW Stem Cell Network was inaugurated. On the occasion of this jubilee we have tighten our activities for
laymen, patients, familiy physicians, teachers and students. Please visit our German website for more information.
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Stem Cell Treatment for Eye Diseases Shows Promise
A treatment for eye diseases that is derived from human embryonic stem cells might have improved the vision of two patients.
scientific report (The Lancet)
Meeting Report
Did you miss our 6th International Meeting? The meeting report, published in Cellular Reprogramming, sums up most of the presentations given.
responsibility
The International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR) tries to inform potential users (patients) of stem cell based treatments and suggests guidelines for clinical translation. Read more:
Guidelines for the Clinical Translation of Stem Cells
Patient Handbook on Stem Cell Therapies
Recent article about unproven therapies in China (Reuters).
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European Court of Justice bans patents of procedures based on human embryonic stem cells
After the final decision of the European Court of Justice from October 18, 2011 patents on biomedical inventions which include the use of human embryonic stem cells (hES) can't not be granted any longer.
This is effective no matter if the establishment of hES cells is part of the patent or not or those cells are imported from abroad - the only way it is allowed in Germany for example. Researchers interprete this decision as a set back for translation orientated research. More than 100 patents within Europe are affected by this.
Press release by the European Court of Justice
Presse release by Eurostemcell
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Research Map NRW:
Thanks to various research approaches, a wide spectrum of scientific research into adult and embryo stem cells is covered in North Rhine Westphalia (NRW). The Stem Cell Network includes research facilities in Aachen, Bielefeld, Bochum, Bonn, Cologne, Düsseldorf, Essen, Münster and Witten/Herdecke. In addition, work on ethical, legal and sociological aspects of stem cell research is being conducted by various faculties at universities in Bochum, Bonn, Cologne, Duisburg, Düsseldorf, Essen, Hagen and Münster. For an overview of all these facilities, check out the Research Map NRW.
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Dossier Provides Overview: The Current State of Stem Cell Research
How far will stem cell research be able to go in the USA or Japan? This and many other questions are being answered in the new “Stem Cell Research Dossier”. You will be able to get the current collection of legal regulations and regulation drafts as well as policy and reports both here and abroad, at the German Reference Center for Ethics in the Bio-sciences (DRZE) or at the Stem Cell Network offices.