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

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 2. Commercial exploitation of stem cells:

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 3. Clinical exploitation:

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? SCI: some key areas of inquiry

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