Two "breakthoughs" in stem-cell research announced at roughly the same time have, based on Google News searches, received very disparate treatment in news coverage.
Click here
to view the Google News screen shot. Note: the "hours ago" indicator
is only for the lead item listed. Both stories originated in news coverage in
the early AM on December 13.
The
first, originally covered by the Louisville Courier Journal, is about adult
stem cells and how researchers are claiming that they can be made to do all the
tricks that, until this "breakthrough," embryonic stem cells have been
thought to be able to perform:
University of Louisville researchers have coaxed stem cells from adult mice to change into brain, nerve, heart and pancreatic cells. That could lead to treatments for human diseases and end the debate over embryonic stem cells.
"We have found a counterpart for embryonic stem cells in adult bone marrow. This could negate the ethical concerns," said Dr. Mariusz Ratajczak, leader of the research team and director of the stem-cell biology program at U of L's James Graham Brown Cancer Center.
This adult stem cell "breakthough" had only 31 "related items" in a Google News search as of about 10 AM today, with no apparent coverage by the Associated Press or the New York Times. United Press International is the only major wire service or major newspaper that has mentioned the story.
The
second, primarily covered by The Washington Post's Rick Weiss ("Human
Brain Cells Are Grown In Mice") appeared on Page A03 of the paper on Tuesday,
December 13, and is about embryonic stem cells: