The Non-Consenting Scientific Community

Reprogramming adult cells in recent years was considered as “hot”, a word being used to describe fashion, not science. However, not consenting to its top Journal popularity, little was mentioned in the news is the < 0.01% low efficiency of reprogramming. The ESC field has been struggling for years with single digit efficiency, how did the 100 times worse efficiency become a big breakthrough of stem cell research?

There is CIRM in CA, seem plenty of funding for CA hESC researchers to go on, > 200 millions went to stem cell center construction in CA campus. What happens if the director of stem cell center is an opponent of hESC research, not consent to hESC research (just look at their CIRM grants actually on reprogramming/trans-differentiation/HIV/astrocyte, anything eligible, except hESC research eligible)? What happens if your mentor is an adult stem cell researcher, not consent to your research or publication in press? Every time passing the Salk glider port, the barely broken ground Sanford Consortium for Regenerative Medicine only reminds us that the consent we gave to Prop 71 to fund hESC research in CA 8 years ago is not consenting to the $ 40 millions of CIRM funding not available for stem cell research and termination of hESC research out of conflicts. For scientists, the embryonic and adult stem cell war has become more of a reality than we could consent.