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Number 22, March 2011

• The Hinxton Group issues statement on data/materials sharing and IPR. The Hinxton Group  recently released its third set of recommendations titled “Statement on Policies and Practices Governing Data and Materials Sharing and Intellectual Property in Stem Cell Science”. Tension is increasing between fairly new and pervasive policies and practices governing data and materials sharing and intellectual property in science, and norms of openness and free exchange, Debra JH Mathews, PhD MA reports. Read more.
• European Court of Justice rejects stem-cell patents. A not-binding opinion by the European Court of Justice has recently stated that procedures involving established human embryonic stem cell lines are not patentable.The opinion, which is not binding, concerns a case presented in November 2009 by the German Federal Supreme Court, which had requested clarification after it had trouble adjudicating a challenge to a patent from the environmental organization Greenpeace, Nature reports. According to the European Court of Justice «the concept of a human embryo applies from the fertilisation stage to the initial totipotent cells and to the entire ensuing process of the development and formation of the human body, that includes the blastocyst» and «an invention must be excluded from patentability where the application of the technical process for which the patent is filed necessitates the prior destruction of human embryos». Read the full opinion by the CURIA.
• The proceedings of the World Congress are available. The proceedings of the Second Meeting of the World Congress for Freedom of Scientific Research (European Parliament, Brussels, 5-7- March 2009) are being sent to members of the scientific and cultural communities, Nobel Laureates, Presidents of Scientific Academies, Ministers and Members of Parliaments. Find on line the full .pdf version in Italian or in English. Check whether you are receiving a copy of the proceedings or order it by donating to Luca Coscioni Association and sending an email to info@freedomofresearch.org

News in brief:

• A New Stem Cell Enters the Mix: Induced Conditional Self-Renewing Progenitor (ICSP) Cells. Generated from progenitor cells, ICSP cells are easier to produce than iPS cells and show therapeutic benefit in a rodent stroke model. http://www.sanfordburnham.org/news_and_events/news_archive/2011/march_7_2011.aspx

• Irish election raises questions for stem cell research – February 28, 2011 http://blogs.nature.com/news/thegreatbeyond/2011/02/irish_election_raises_question.html?WT.ec_id=NEWS-20110301

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