UK fights over nat'l stem cell network

UK scientists are struggling to create a national network for stem cell science, as a lack of consensus about how such a network should operate is significantly limiting progress. Still, participants have managed to come to agreement over some preliminary steps, suggesting the initiative is moving forward.At a day-long meeting in London on Wednesday, roughly 70 delegates -- including scientists and patient advocates -- contemplated proposals for a new national framework to foster interaction across different stem cell disciplines. But a morning of debate revealed a distinct lack of consensus, said Chris Mason from University College London and co-founder of the London Regenerative Medicine Network. "We really got nowhere," he told The Scientist. "There were a lot of people with a lot of different views in the room."The idea of setting up a national network was proposed in a government report published last December. In that document,...