First hESC Trial Kaput

Geron is terminating a clinical trial testing a human embryonic stem cell treatment for spinal cord injury.

Written byJef Akst

| 4 min read

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WIKIMEDIA COMMONS, NISSIM BENVENISTY

The world’s first clinical trial testing a human embryonic stem cell (hESC) therapy is closing to further enrollment after a long, rocky ride, according to the Geron Corporation. The company, which started the trial two years ago, announced the trial’s shuttering Monday (November 14), along with its decision to withdraw from the stem cell sector altogether—not for lack of promise, but simply a strategic move to stay afloat during hard economic times.

“It’s certainly going to have a very chilling effect,” said Robert Lanza, chief scientific officer at Advanced Cell Technology, the only other company currently engaged in clinical trials involving hESCs. “There’s a lot of exciting potential here in this field, and it would just be a real shame for this not to move ...

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Meet the Author

Jef Akst
Jef (an unusual nickname for Jennifer) got her master’s degree from Indiana University in April 2009 studying the mating behavior of seahorses. After four years of diving off the Gulf Coast of Tampa and performing behavioral experiments at the Tennessee Aquarium in Chattanooga, she left research to pursue a career in science writing. As The Scientist's managing editor, Jef edited features and oversaw the production of the TS Digest and quarterly print magazine. In 2022, her feature on uterus transplantation earned first place in the trade category of the Awards for Excellence in Health Care Journalism. She is a member of the National Association of Science Writers.
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