Stem Cell Research and Your Dog
Stem cell research often conjures images of political firestorms and futuristic science, yet it's a field that's already offering hope for humans and dogs alike. While the ideal of fixing spinal injuries and curing disease may be a long way off, dogs treated with stem cells are enjoying a new lease on life.

Zachary M. Duclos: Embryonic stem cells oversold
"The stem cell debate is over," Dr. Mehmet Oz said on an "Oprah" show in March, speaking to Oprah Winfrey and Michael J. Fox. He told Fox, who has Parkinson's disease, that the clear winner is the adult stem cell technique called induced pluripotent stem cells, or iPSC. iPSCs have properties similar to embryonic stem cells and have been responsible for successful advancements in research on such diseases as multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, blindness and Fanconi anemia.

What others say: Promising stem cells
Here is some good news amid the general gloom: Scientists at the Salk Institute in La Jolla, Calif., say they have cured a cell. In a paper in the journal Nature, the Salk team reports it has fixed a defective gene in cells taken from patients with Fanconi anemia, a disease that can cause bone-marrow failure, leukemia and other cancers.

Athens firm reaches deal to sell stem cells
Athens-based ArunA Biomedical company has signed a contract with an Edina, Minn., company to market and sell neural stem cells made by the Athens company.