Weve got to say it every so often — state stem cell programs are moving ahead, while the feds continue to languish. The most recent state to put money on the table is New York. Having gotten up and running in record time, the New York Stem Cell agency (NYSTEM) has just made its first set of awards. The state plans to spend $600 million on stem cell activities over 10 years, which makes it a sizable player among states, though not in Californias league.
NYSTEM has also released an interesting and useful snapshot of on-going stem cell research in New York. Based on surveys and interviews with stem cell principal investigators, this paper inventories researchers and their major research interests, reports on the types of stem cells currently in use in New York, and aggregates scientific opinion on appropriate funding priorities and mechanisms. Check it out.
Meanwhile, inside the Beltway, grass is still growing and paint is still drying and watching either of those things happen is more exciting than watching federal stem cell policy proceed.
-James Fossett