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New York Becomes First State To Allow Payment For Donating Eggs For Stem Cell Research
New York"s Empire State Stem Cell Board earlier this month decided to allow embryonic stem cell researchers who receive state funding to compensate women for donating their eggs for use in research, making New York the first state to enact such a policy, the Washington Post reports (Stein, Washington Post, 6/26). According to the New York Times, the New York state Legislature in 2007 allotted $600 million for an 11-year stem cell research plan (Nelson, New York Times, 6/26). Under the board"s decisions, researchers receiving the state funding may pay women up to $10,000 to compensate them for the time, discomfort and expenses associated with egg donation. David Hohn, vice chair of the board"s two committees that endorsed the decision, said that the board "could not distinguish ethically between the payment for in vitro fertilization, which is very well precedented, and the compensation for donation for research." The board said researchers should follow the same guidelines as infertility clinics that receive donated eggs for infertile couples. Under those guidelines, payments exceeding $5,000 must be justified, and those exceeding $10,000 are considered excessive (Washington Post, 6/26). Robert Klitzman, director of the master"s degree program in bioethics at Columbia University and a member of the stem cell board"s ethics committee, said the payments will be carefully evaluated by an institutional review board (New York Times, 6/26).The Post reports that the decision goes against policies in other states that offer funding for embryonic stem cell research, as well as against current guidelines from scientific organizations like the National Academy of Sciences (Washington Post, 6/26). NAS guidelines, for example, prohibit paying women for eggs used in stem cell research. Similarly, the internal guidelines for New York-based groups like Rockefeller University, Cornell University and the Sloan-Kettering Institute prohibit financial compensation for donated eggs. However, researchers say that efforts to recruit unpaid donors have been unsuccessful and that the board"s decision will give New York an advantage in stem cell research (New York Times, 6/26). The decision was welcomed by scientists and other proponents of stem cell research, who said it will allow them to further research in areas like therapeutic cloning. The process, also known as somatic cell nuclear transfer, involves replacing the genetic material in a human egg with genes from the nucleus of a patient"s cell. The egg is then developed into an early embryo, which, in theory, could be used to produce stem cells that the patient"s immune system would not reject. Although the procedure has been unsuccessful so far, researchers say the board"s decision will help attract more donors, which will allow for more experiments. Egg donation involves weeks of hormone injections to stimulate the ovaries and a painful egg extraction procedure, which carries rare but serious risks. Other attempts at soliciting women to donate eggs for stem cell research have been unsuccessful, according to the Post.Some critics of the board"s decision said that paying women for eggs could lead to exploitation, especially for low-income women. Thomas Berg -- a Roman Catholic priest who is director of the Westchester Institute for Ethics and the Human Person and a member of the Empire State Stem Cell Board"s ethics committee -- said that in the current economic recession, paying a woman $10,000 to participate in a research project is an "undue inducement." He added that he thinks it "manipulates women" and "creates a trafficking in human body parts." Other opponents of the decision questioned if compensating women who donate eggs for research is indeed equivalent to the process for infertility treatments. Jonathan Moreno, a professor of bioethics at the University of Pennsylvania, said that donors recognize that egg donation for infertility treatments is a "very concrete good for society" but that "you can"t be sure any biological material you collect for research wi
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Public Are Key To Fighting NHS Fraud
The contribution of the public and healthcare workers in the fight against fraud and corruption is commended by Managing Director of NHS Counter Fraud, Dermid McCausland in an online broadcast at http://www.nhscounterfraud.nhs.uk to launch Fraud Awareness Month (FAM), June 2009:
News of the day
Most Common Brain Cancer May Originate In Neural Stem Cells
Findings in mice suggest greater hope for targeting brain cancer, but also greater caution in pursuing stem cell treatments for degenerative diseases
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British Men Think Talking About Impotence Is "Just Not Cricket"

With the first innings of the Ashes commencing this week, celebrity TV presenter and former England cricketer and spin ace, Phil Tufnell is calling on British blokes to think about their health as well as the Ashes Test Series this summer. Concerned that many men may not be able to bowl their maiden over, Phil is encouraging blokes who may experience impotence to visit http://www.bowlyourmaidenover.com to learn about the condition and why their doctor is best placed to help. Bowl Your Maiden Over is sponsored and brought to you by Lilly UK. Impotence is common. 40% of men over the age of 40 have experienced some degree of impotence(1) yet many do not speak to a doctor(2). The latest data suggest that almost one third of men attempt to self-treat impotence by purchasing treatments from uncontrolled s(2)(*). In the case of medicines, a study showed 65% accessed from these s are imitations with relatively high health risks(2). Bowl Your Maiden Over encourages men to avoid unnecessary risk and to speak to their GP about impotence and the range of different treatment options available - 95% of cases can be treated by a healthcare professional(3). Commenting on why men fail to take appropriate action on impotence, Phil Tufnell says, "Over five and a half million fellas in the UK may be experiencing some degree of impotence,(1,4) but no one seems to talk about it. But because of all this embarrassment and silence, men don"t know what to do about the condition. So I"m encouraging blokes to take action. The message is simple: lads, if you can"t bowl your maiden over, go to http://www.bowlyourmaidenover.com and then, if necessary, visit your GP for help." Research shows that most men wait for a year or longer before speaking to their GP.(5) Commenting on this, media doctor and GP Rob Hicks says, "There"s really no need for embarrassment when it comes to impotence. This is a common condition that GPs see week in, week out. Given this, it"s strange that men still duck for cover when the word is mentioned. There"s no need - this is not an out-of-bounds condition. GPs are used to talking about it and want to help." Supporting the call for men to take appropriate action on impotence, Rob adds, "I want men to enjoy the cricket this summer but to also think about their health. I"m urging men to tackle the issue head on and get information from qualified s. On top of that, impotence may impact on a couple"s relationship so it makes sense to speak to your GP and get things back on track(6)." Concluding, Phil Tufnell says, "I"m looking forward to sharing some top cricket stats with blokes this summer but before the Ashes gets underway, I want to knock about some facts on impotence: you"re not alone if you experience it. In fact, if a large Test ground, such as Lord"s, was full of men aged 40 and over, at least 10,000 blokes would have experienced impotence(1,7). Trying to get help without speaking to a professional is a risky business, so get down to the GP and make sure your kit is in order." As a first step, men can visit a new impotence information website at http://www.bowlyourmaidenover.com. It is provided alongside http://www.40over40.com, a website that offers information and advice about impotence and includes a simple action plan to help men prepare for a conversation with their GP. Both websites are sponsored and brought to you by Eli Lilly and Company Limited (Lilly UK). Notes * Uncontrolled s of impotence treatments tend to provide services without the patient requiring a medical consultation and/or prescription Decisions about impotence treatment and men"s overall health should be made by patients in consultation with a doctor. Buying treatments from internet sites, or other s, which do not provide professional, qualified medical advice puts the patient at risk. What is impotence? Impotence, or erectile dysfunction, occurs when the penis does not get hard (erect) enough to allow a man to have sexual activity. This happens because not enough blood can get into, or stay, in the penis(6). What causes impotence? In most cases, the cause of impotence is a physical one. It can be a symptom of other illnesses including diabetes, high blood pressure or nerve problems(6,8,9,10). In many cases there will be a combination of both physical and psychological factors. Why has http://www.bowlyourmaidenover.com been developed? Impotence is commonly experienced by men over the age of 40,(1) many of who may be cricket fans. A cricket analogy is being used in this summer"s impotence information campaign to help men engage with this health problem and discuss the topic with their GP. The Bowl Your Maiden Over disease awareness campaign is in association with http://www.40over40.com, an erectile dysfunction educational website. Both activities/res are sponsored and brought to you by Eli Lilly and Company Limited (Lilly UK). Disease awareness campaigns Guidance is provided on healthcare communications and disease awareness campaigns in the UK by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI). More information can be found at: http://www.mhra.gov.uk/ and http://www.abpi.org.uk/links/assoc/PMCPA/pmpca_code2006.pdf References 1) Feldman HA, Goldstein I, Hatzichristou DG et al. Impotence and its medical and psychological correlates: results of the Massachusetts male aging study. Journal of Urology 1994; 151(1): 54 - 61 2) Banks I, Kirby M, Marfatia A et al. Assessment, in a general population of men, of men"s interaction with the healthcare system to obtain Phospodiesterase Type 5 Inhibitors. Poster presented at Joint Congress of the European and International Societies for Sexual Medicine, Belgium, 2008 3) WGBH Educational Foundation 2006, Impotence: causes and treatments, http://www.jcn.co.uk/journal.asp.?MonthNum=10&YearNum=1999 &Type=backissue&ArticleID=186 Last accessed 19.06.09 (Due to the length of this URL, it may be necessary to copy and paste this hyperlink into your Internet browser"s URL address field. Remove the space if one exists.) 4) 14,052,000 men in the UK are aged 40 or over according to data from the Office for National Statistics, General Register Office for Scotland, Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency:http://www.statistics.gov.uk/statbase/Product.asp?vlnk=15106. Last accessed 23.06.09. 40% of men over the age of 40 have experienced some degree of impotence according to Feldman HA et al. (reference 1 within this document). It can therefore be calculated that 5,620,800 men in the UK may be experiencing some form of impotence 5) Haro JM, Beardsworth A, Casariego J et al. Treatment-seeking behavior of erectile dysfunction patients in Europe: results of the erectile dysfunction observational study. Journal of Sexual Medicine 2006; 3: 530 - 540 6) Miller TA. Diagnostic evaluation of erectile dysfunction. American Family Physician 2000; 61(1): 95 - 104, 109 - 110 7) BBC Sport venue guide, http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport/hi/english/static/in_depth/cricket/2001/ashes/venues/lords.stm. Last accessed 12.06.09 (Due to the length of this URL, it may be necessary to copy and paste this hyperlink into your Internet browser"s URL address field. Remove the space if one exists.) 8) Wagner G, Mulhall J. Pathophysiology and diagnosis of male erectile dysfunction. BJU International 2001; 88 (Suppl 3): 3 - 10 9) Bloomgarden ZT. American Diabetes Association annual meeting, 1999: nephropathy and neuropathy. Diabetes Care 2000; 23(4): 549 - 556 10) Dey J, Shepherd MD. Evaluation and treatment of erectile dysfunction in men with diabetes mellitus. Mayo Clinic Proceedings 2002; 77: 276 - 282 This activity is sponsored and brought to you by Eli Lilly and Company Limited (Lilly UK). Eli Lilly and Company Limited, Basingstoke, RG24 9NL. Prepared June 2009, UKCLS00232 Link to Multimedia News Release Eli Lilly and Company Limited


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