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ESRC Stem Cell Initiative: Capacity Building and Awareness Raising. 1st Annual Meeting. 30th November 2006. SCI: some key areas of inquiry. 1. Constructing accountability Ethical boundary work in labs Sourcing tissue
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ESRC Stem Cell Initiative: Capacity Building and Awareness Raising.1st Annual Meeting. 30th November 2006
SCI: some key areas of inquiry 1. Constructing accountability • Ethical boundary work in labs • Sourcing tissue • Regulatory regimes and the socio-technical ‘management of tissue’, nationally and globally • Public good/public trust/media
SCI: some key areas of inquiry 2. Commercial exploitation of stem cells: • consistency in bioprocessing and in therapeutic results (GMP as basis for stable product) • a scale-up that works – automation (mix of mass and customised products)? • measures of cost effectiveness • ‘regulatory intelligence’ • SC lines in drug development: eg toxicity testing?
SCI: some key areas of inquiry 3. Clinical exploitation: • How are research (scientific) results likely to be applied in clinical settings: differences between science and medicine? • Distinction between ‘adult’ (somatic) and hESC work and clinical preferences • Supply and distribution dynamics? • Clinical trial design (impact of HT directive?) • How will clinical profession develop new model of ‘outcome’ over longer period of time than normal?
SCI: some key areas of inquiry 4. Regulatory issues in the UK: • What new regulations will need to be developed – eg re chimera? • Where cells ‘sit’ in regulatory context – (eg adult cells and the HTD? Are they transplants or can they be used for ‘research purposes only’?) • Modelling regulation: the intersection of tissue system with differing regulatory regimes?
What common to this work? • Boundaries of living creatures/tissue – interested in ‘life itself’ (Rose): a bio-social (t)issue: the intersection of the biological and the social. • When do policy makers/politicians feel there is an obligation to intervene on ‘our behalf’ and why? • Decisional fields outside of state (Rabinow’s ‘biosocial communities’) • Innovation as a ‘social matrix’ : economic, regulatory and social aspects co-constructed as material narratives
Theoretical & methodological issues for network • Expectations analysis: how do these ‘perform’? • Where/how to look for ‘translation: hybrid sites? • Role of intermediaries ( eg patient groups; regulators; banks) • Understanding diversity across fields/ sites of application
Questions for CBAR network • Relationship with users/scientists: reflecting on role/impact of social science? • Position of network within UK stem cell collaboration? • Longer term publishing/dissemination activity ( e.g. special issues of journals, workshops) – cross cutting questions to pursue? (e.g. specificity of hESCs?)
Future networked activity • March 2007, Social Science Week, SCI plan to run a Public Engagement Event • March 2007, CESAgen Annual Meeting, plenary session being planned • April 2007 BSA Annual Meeting, stream of papers from SCI and related work is planned