Talk:Geron Corporation/Archive 1

Facts of the matter.
Telomeres and telomerase pioneers were not from Geron Corp.

Elizabeth H. Blackburn, Carol W. Greider, and Jack W. Szostak were awarded the 2006 Lasker award for basic medical research for the prediction and discovery of telomerase"

http://www.laskerfoundation.org/awards/library/2006basic.shtml

The discoverers of stem cell were not from Geron Corp.

Ernest McCulloch and James Till were awarded the 2005 Lasker award for basic medical research for ingenious experiments that first identified a stem cell.

http://www.laskerfoundation.org/awards/library/2005basic.shtml —Preceding unsigned comment added by 209.77.137.57 (talk) 22:11, 26 September 2007 (UTC)

The three people who won the 2007 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine "for their discoveries of principles for introducing specific gene modifications in mice by the use of embryonic stem cells" were not from Geron Corp.

http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/medicine/laureates/2007/index.html

One issue is the simple one that Geron Corp. is a follower not a leader, unless leading from the rear. The issue is not for or against stem cells, they have been shown to exist by Ernest McCulloch and James Till as documented above.

As somebody mentions below Elizabeth Blackburn discovered telomeres, not anybody from Geron Corp. She has said that the problem with Geron Corp. is that it does not have any ideas of its own.

The people awarded the 2007 Nobel prize for Physiology or Medicine are not from Geron Corp.

The issue is of a company claiming that it discovered things, the sleight of hand of the company prospectus, when in fact it pays money to use things discovered by other people. All the media hype in the world does not make any jot of difference to the fact that little science it done, i.e. what tests are they doing of things that are already known and worked out by other people? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 209.77.137.57 (talk) 19:33, 21 October 2007 (UTC)

Steen Willadsen, at Cambridge, England, was the first to clone a mammal from differentiated cells, from sheep embryos, in 1984.

http://library.thinkquest.org/24355/data/details/1984.html http://www.publish.csiro.au/?act=view_file&file_id=RDv17n2_PA.pdf —Preceding unsigned comment added by 153.96.84.2 (talk) 07:35, 11 March 2008 (UTC)

This page used to have alot more information, but someone(s) keep erasing. I speculate it is the same manipulators that have been messing with the psycology of Geron investors for years. 71.102.145.241 17:47, 11 May 2007 (UTC)

Advertisement tags

A single user has been placing tags that claim that the Geron Corproation page is written as an advertisement since April. I welcome this person to add his or her objections to this discussion page, edit the offending text, or drop the claim.--Biotech1 05:04, 15 August 2007 (UTC)

I'm completely disgusted that there is a consorted effort to delist GERON from Wikipedia. Such an action is ridiculous and subversive. GERON Corporation has leadership in 4 unique medical technologies - oncology via telomerase inhibition; life-extending medicine via telomerase activation; human embryonic stem cell research for spinal cord repair and other regenerative medicine; and animal cloning. It is quite clear to this reader that certain individuals who are opposed to hESC research (who equate hESC research to "abortion") are attempting to subvert this company in many ways, including stock manipulation. They'd prefer to throw unused, frozen, fertilized eggs from fertility clinics into the trash, effectively killing those eggs, rather than putting them to medical use to benefit people who suffer from degenerative diseases. If Wikipedia delists this article on GERN, I hope that Wikipedia will list the names and addresses of all those (many or few) who have taken the action to remove this article. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by Special:Contributions/ (talk)

It is hilarious and dreadful that the religous right and misguided have tried to get Geron deleted from WikipediA. It is a war against science and truth, against light and life. Geron is the worlds leader in research on the similarity between a cancer stem cell, and an embryonic stem cell. They both use the same enzyme to upregulate 70 cancer genes, to turn off 147 genes that would make a cell normal, to grant replicative immortality to a cancer cell (all by Dr. Elizabeth Blackburn, next Nobel winner), to activate glycolysis in the cell and perhaps to disable the mitochondria (Mohammed Sabet).

Not all organisations critical of Geron Corp. are from the religious right
The Center for Genetics and Society, a non-for-profit organization, which is on the Democratic left of the political spectrum, has been critical of Geron Corp., and is not part of the religious right.

The Center for Genetics and Society has pointed out that there is a group of self-serving, and self-supporting people in the biotech business. This is more in line with a Marxist analysis than an analysis from the religious right. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 85.183.131.170 (talk) 20:17, 27 September 2008 (UTC)

Please see:

http://geneticsandsociety.org/article.php?id=3539

http://www.geneticsandsociety.org/article.php?id=107 —Preceding unsigned comment added by 85.183.131.170 (talk) 20:13, 27 September 2008 (UTC)

http://www.biopoliticaltimes.org/article.php?id=3811 —Preceding unsigned comment added by 85.183.131.170 (talk) 20:14, 27 September 2008 (UTC)

http://www.biopoliticaltimes.org/article.php?id=3579 —Preceding unsigned comment added by 85.183.131.170 (talk) 20:19, 27 September 2008 (UTC)

http://www.biopoliticaltimes.org/article.php?id=3925 —Preceding unsigned comment added by 85.183.131.170 (talk) 20:23, 27 September 2008 (UTC)

Americans can be very insular, and try to interpret everything according to their own "pop-culture", whereas there is a long history of economic analysis long before the "Religious right" were ever on the American political scene. Marxism does seem to explain the self-promotion and grasping behaviour of Geron Corp. which acts as the rest of the exploitative class, this time though with the exploitation being of the shareholders. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 85.183.131.170 (talk) 11:19, 3 October 2008 (UTC)

If you delete Geron from Wiki-existence, then I request that you delete any page that mentions organized religion. Their sins are the sins of taking human life, of torture, of denying every single major advance in science and human advancement. Remeber the flat world, the one that all the galaxies spun around? Remember the churchs objection to the use of antibiotics! Remember their objection to surgery? Their objection to autopsy so that doctors could learn about the human body? Remember some still object to blood transfusions, even the use of synthetic blood products? Remember the torture, murder, and thefts by them in the Spanish inquisition? 500,000 Americans die of cancer every year. Bush and the religous right have stopped any meaningful study and understanding of embryonic stem cells and thus cancer cells. Yes, cancer and a fetus grow with the same tools. A fetus is a wondrous thing, and a cancer a horrid thing. A knife can be used to prune a tree, or to do the unspeakable. Wherever the truth leads, science should follow, to save 500,000 Americans per year. In the six year delay in the study of stem cells, the bushies have turned away a generation of researchers who would, like Geron, cure this disease, and most of the other diseases too. This delay in the understanding of embryonic stem cells, has killed more people worldwide than all the wars combined. So again, I request, that if you delete Geron, do please also delete all mention of church, and the republican party, and George Bush. While he uses the ban on embryonic stem cells to rouse the right, both friends and family of mine have died of cancer.

So if you delete the world leader in stem cell research and a company poised to cure all human cancers, I suggest you delete reference to those who have hampered the science that cures our children, our friends, our families, and murdered and maimed and stole since the time of Christ.

In human trials now, Gerons telomerase inhibitor drug has good very early results, only now are they arriving a the dose expected to be curative. In a previous trial, their telomerase vaccine produced the strongest human immune response that has ever been generated by a vaccine, against cancer. The trial was at Duke U. It cleared ciruculating tumor cells from the blood of men who had been through the mill of treatments for prostate cancer, and stopped their PSA numbers from doubling.

They tried to do a human stem cell trial before the last election, but the bush epa said no, asking them to instead help another couple thousand rats to walk again. They also have pancreatic islet cells that are derived from embryonic stem cells, the ones that would be otherwise thrown in the garbage can. The cells have cured diabetes in rats.

They also have made heart cells, that act normally, and they have restored heart function in rats that were given intentional heart wall damage as in a heart attack.

All of these claims can be verified at the companies website at www.geron.com, except for the work by Mohammed Sabet. His work was co-authored by many, but also by Dr. Blackburn, the co-discoverer of teloemrase 18 years ago.

I hope Wikipedia's deletion policy isn't simply automated, that someone reads this, someone with a brain.

Prime3end 04:49, 20 August 2007 (UTC)

It is so obvious religious radicals are attempting to erase this company out of exsistance. It saddens me that sick and injured people are waiting and hoping for treatments that Geron is working on, yet a few so called "fundamentalist christians" want to end that hope. Save this Geron wikipedia page, those who have requested the deletion, are a minority few wacko cult members. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by Special:Contributions/ (talk)

Incorrect history; Dolly the sheep (the first cloned animal?); patents
Please get your history and biology right.

The first cloned animals were tadpoles.
Tadpoles do have backbones and are animals.

This work was done by Robert Briggs and Thomas King in 1952. Subsequently improved upon by John Gurdon. Please see as a general reference.

http://www.pnas.org/misc/classics4.shtml

For the original work please see.

Robert Briggs and Thomas J. King Transplantation of Living Nuclei from Blastula Cells into Enucleated Frogs' Eggs PNAS 1952; 38: 455-463.

Accessible for free at:

www.pnas.org

Geron Corporation is the present day holder of these patent rights to clone animals and thus controls the unethical use of this technology.70.224.63.2 13:08, 20 August 2007 (UTC) Jt Brennan

Religion should never cross the boundary into "state", but here is an example where it has. But to my astonishment, a Wikipedia religous zealot has requested deletion of this page. I here formally request his deletion from the ranks of the watchdogs of Wikipedia. When you allow insane zealots whose only goal is an early death and fiery hell for all but 144,000 of the planets people,, well its time to take away the gentlemans Wikipedia credentials. If religion had its way, the only science that would advance is weapons science. Their motive is clear: Everytime science increases human longevity, people become less worried about an early death and the mandatory fiery hell, and so they quit giving money to the churches. Will the church cure cancer? Heart disease? Diabetes? Make the lame, walk again? NO. But Geron will, with or without Wikipedia. I for one am shocked that Wikipedia would even consider this. I demand that the Wikipedia moderator who requested the deletion be "fired". This single action shows that his sole intent for being with Wikipedia is quite likely to censor science and truth. Please get rid of him/her. You should also do an edit of his "work" to see what other truth he has erased from Wikipedia. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by Special:Contributions/ (talk)

Fair use rationale for Image:GERN.gif
Image:GERN.gif is being used on this article. I notice the image page specifies that the image is being used under fair use but there is no explanation or rationale as to why its use in this Wikipedia article constitutes fair use. In addition to the boilerplate fair use template, you must also write out on the image description page a specific explanation or rationale for why using this image in each article is consistent with fair use.

Please go to the image description page and edit it to include a fair use rationale. Using one of the templates at Fair use rationale guideline is an easy way to insure that your image is in compliance with Wikipedia policy, but remember that you must complete the template. Do not simply insert a blank template on an image page.

If there is other fair use media, consider checking that you have specified the fair use rationale on the other images used on this page. Note that any fair use images lacking such an explanation can be deleted one week after being tagged, as described on criteria for speedy deletion. If you have any questions please ask them at the Media copyright questions page. Thank you.

BetacommandBot (talk) 14:44, 2 January 2008 (UTC)

Cleanup
Most of it is reorted in the press. Disturbing to some but so it is. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 209.77.137.57 (talk) 21:52, 7 January 2008 (UTC)

I removed the following from the article. Much of it is highly opinionated, poorly written, poorly sourced and largely irrelevant to an encyclopedia article. It can sit here as someone may want to salvage something.....Nouse4aname (talk) 15:08, 2 January 2008 (UTC)

The comments were well sourced. Are you so stupid not to think that Geron Corp. does not feed this site? Don't you think Geron Corp. does not opinions like propping up its share price?


 * Thank you for asking, but no, I am not stupid. The content was not well sourced, it was largely from web forums etc, and from people with an obvious negative bias against Geron. This is an encyclopedia, and does not post "opinions" it posts facts. If such opinions are relevant, then they can be presented in a more neutral manner. Nouse4aname (talk) 09:00, 3 January 2008 (UTC)

Forward-looking statements made pursuant to the "safe harbor" provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995
The above section bears several similarities, sometimes verbatim, to Geron Corp. news releases, and contains forward-looking statements made pursuant to the "safe harbor" provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Investors are cautioned that statements in this press release regarding potential applications of Geron's human embryonic stem cell technology constitute forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties, including, without limitation, risks inherent in the development and commercialization of potential products, uncertainty of clinical trial results or regulatory approvals or clearances, need for future capital, dependence upon collaborators and maintenance of our intellectual property rights. Actual results may differ materially from the results anticipated in these forward-looking statements. Additional information on potential factors that could affect our results and other risks and uncertainties are detailed from time to time in Geron's periodic reports, including the quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2007. .

Since it was organized in 1990 Geron has been granted over 260 patents.

GERON Corporation's patents in stem cell technology
GERON Corporation had exclusive rights to three cell types derived from embryonic stem cells, as the result of paying for the research originally conducted by Dr. James Thomson at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The patents on the other three cell types are owned by the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF). WARF and Geron did not charge academics to study human stem cells but did charge commercial users. In 2001 WARF came under public pressure to widen access to human stem-cell technology. WARF sued GERON Corp. to recover some of the previously sold rights. The two sides agreed that GERON Corp. would keep the rights to only three cell types.

The whole area of patents for human stem cell work is now in doubt as a legal challenge is being mounted to overturn these patents by The Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights and the non-profit patent-watchdog Public Patent Foundation. They contend that 2 of the patents granted to WARF are invalid because they cover a technique published in 1992 for which a patent had already been granted to an Australian researcher. Another part of the challenge comes from the molecular biologist Jeanne Loring who states that University of Wisconsin-Madison stem cell pioneer James Thomson's techniques (currently patents held by WARF) are rendered obvious by a 1990 paper and 2 textbooks. The outcome of this legal challenge is particularly relevant to the GERON Corporation as it can only license patents that are upheld.

WARF Stem cell patents relaxed January 2007
As an interim measure, on the 23rd of January 2007, WARF relaxed the stem cell patents, allowing industry-sponsored research at academic and non-profit institutions without a license. WARF will allow easier and simpler cost free cell transfers among researchers and would not require a license or agreement from California's taxpayer-funded stem cell research program.The patents are now being re-examined by the U.S. Patent and Trademark office.

Geron strengthens cloning position with purchase of new patents
Geron Corp. purchased several new patent rights to techniques related to cloning, providing them with greater dominance over the commercial exploitation of this field, though some doubt the value of this field.

Controversy over GERON Corp's rights to "cloning" technology
There is also uncertainty over GERON Corp.'s rights to nuclear transfer technology. A dispute between Advanced Cell Technology and GERON has been largely resolved as of September 6, 2006 when lawsuits challenging the validity of Geron's cloning technology were dismissed with prejudice by the appeals courts There is a more fundamental objection to the rights as Ian Wilmut was identified on the original patent.

Recent shifts in stem cell technology
Recently reprogramming techniques have been developed to induce a stem cell-like state in adult cells, which Geron has not been involved with. Ian Wilmut, who acted as a supervisor in the project which cloned Dolly the sheep, has announced that he would abandon somatic cell nuclear transfer techniques in light of Shinya Yamanaka's work on induced pluripotent stem cells, calling into question the value of Geron's patents on cloning technologies.

Congressional Testimony
As a participant in the stem cell and cloning area, Geron Corporation has been asked to testify about its technology before the U.S. Congress. In 2001  when Congress was attempting to ban all forms of cloning, Geron Corporation C.E.O. Thomas Okarma spoke before Congress to preserve cloning for therapeutic purposes.

Criticism for touting human stem therapy clinical trials for 4 years in a row
Geron Corp. has come in for criticism from the Oakland based non-profit organization "Center for Genetics and Society". Geron Corp. has been criticized for promising that clinical trials based on human stem cells will occur "next year" - for the fourth year in a row, yet still have not materialized.

Criticism of Geron Corp. CEO, Thomas Okarma, for pretending he knows more about stem cells than the person who first isolated human stem cells
Geron Corp. CEO, Thomas Okarma has been criticized by Jesse Reynolds, of the non-for-profit organization Genetics and Society, for pretending he (and Geron employees), know more about stem cells than James Thomson, the first person to isolate human stem cells.

Belly up for 2008?
What is the future for a company heavily invested in outmoded technology?

==Promises, promises. Always promises.== Sanitizing their wikipedia site is not going to save Geron from a financial slide.