Adult Stem Cells vs. Diabetes

BBC NEWS, March 15 — Re -searchers have reported that stem cells drawn from bone marrow can be converted into insulin-producing beta cells, then transplanted to the pancreas. While preliminary, the finding holds out exciting prospects for insulin-injecting diabetics.

“Transplantation of bone-marrow stem cells already is a routine procedure for treating cancer and other diseases, and we could build on that experience,” lead investigator Mehboob Hussain of the New York University School of Medicine told the British Broadcasting Corp. The re searchers’ full report was published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation.

Did Concert Cure Coma?

REUTERS, March 12 — A young German woman, left comatose for six years after she collapsed at school, has begun to respond to the world around her. The awakening occurred while she was at a concert in Regensburg featuring pop singer Bryan Adams, of whom she has been a fan.

Christiane Kittel, now 24, was left in a vegetative state after her collapse on June 12, 1997. Doctors believe her condition was caused by a combination of hot weather, a hereditary hemophilia condition and side effects of a contraceptive pill.

Karl-Gunther and Adelheide Kittel, Christiane's parents, said that, during the concert, Chris tiane started to move in her wheelchair and seemed fascinated by the music and the singer, saying the word “Mama” quite clearly. Chris -tiane's doctor says she has taken the first steps toward recovery.

Nebraska Abortions Drop

OMAHA WORLD-HERALD, March 17 — The number of abortions in Nebraska has dropped — again.

Gov. Mike Johanns was quoted in the Omaha daily newspaper saying that the 5.2% decline in 2002 — the fourth consecutive year the state has seen abortion decline — demonstrates the public's growing opposition to abortion. He noted that, since 1998, the number of abortions performed in the state has dropped by 27%.

Nebraska recorded 3,775 abortions last year, compared with 3,982 in 2001, according to figures from the Nebraska Health and Human Services System.

Have a Baby, Halve a Debt

THE GLOBE AND MAIL, March 15 — Bernard Landry, leader of the Parti Québécois, has pledged that, if he is elected, he will move to write off half of university graduates’ student loans — if they have a child within five years of getting their degrees.

The legislation would be aimed at reversing the rapid evaporation of Quebec's workforce. It would cost about $50 million annually, reported the national Canadian newspaper based in Toronto.