Scientists at the Stanford University School of Medicine and at UC-San Francisco have succeeded in isolating stem cells from human testes. The cells bear a striking resemblance to embryonic stem cells—they can differentiate into each of the three main types of tissues of the body—but the researchers caution against viewing them as one and the same. According to the study, the testes stem cells have different patterns of gene expression and regulation and they do not proliferate and differentiate as aggressively as human embryonic stem cells.

According to BarackObama.com, Obama’s health insurance proposal features many ambitious and grand features such as coverage for pre-existing conditions, tax credits to small businesses that offer employer based health insurance coverage, preventive screenings, and much more. Obama’s health insurance plan may also include “medical home” where a primary doctor coordinates healthcare. “In a sense, his proposal is similar to an HMO with the primary doctor as a sort of healthcare czar for each individual and the emphasis on preventive medicine,” says CEO Eric Oster of InsuranceBureau.com.

HealthGrades today identified those hospitals that rank in the top 15% nationally in patient experience and posted the hospitals on www.HealthGrades.com. The ratings are based on patient satisfaction survey results that hospital patients provided as part of a new federal initiative to increase public reporting of hospital performance.