Stem Cell Daily Roundup

• The biggest stem cell news of the day comes from down under. The Australian parliament has lifted its ban on therapeutic cloning. Here's a little refresher on what therapeutic cloning (scroll down) is.
• Here in America, the Sacramento Bee is concerned about potential conflicts of interest vis-à-vis the California Institute of Regenerative Medicine's newly-acquired $181 million. Specifically:

Under policies approved by the institute, the reviewersdon't have to publicly disclose possible conflicts of interest -- suchas consulting relationships with companies that could benefit from theresearch or partnerships with scientists applying for funds.

Under this policy, the institute's limited staff is in charge ofpolicing conflicts and ensuring that reviewers recuse themselves atappropriate times during deliberations. At their meeting in SanFrancisco, the grant review committee went further -- agreeing topublicly disclose which of their members recused themselves but not why.

• Across the pond, NovaThera, an embryonic stem cell research company in Cambridge, England, is closing
  series B funding, and getting lots of money from U.S. investors. Withstem cell research regulations here uncertain and federal fundinglimited, it's not surprising that VCs are looking for opportunitiesabroad.
• And back here in the land of cheese and stem cells, Medical College of Wisconsin researchers are seeking a patent on a method to isolate, grow and identify a new type of adult stem cell that comes from "the bulge of hair follicles.