October 2014 - The Niche

Flash stem cell contest: free passes to see Yamanaka & more at WAFSF meeting in SFO

October 30, 2014 / Professor Paul Knoepfler, Ph.D. / 2 Comments

One of the best stem cell meetings each year is the World Alliance Form San Francisco (WAFSF) stem cell conference, where Shinya Yamanaka will be speaking. It brings together in San Francisco many of the very best stem cell researchers from around the world doing the most cutting edge translational research. You should go! The speakers […]

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Diabetes Stem Cell Milestone: ViaCyte Transplants 1st Patient

October 30, 2014 / Professor Paul Knoepfler, Ph.D. / 4 Comments

Chalk up another exciting development for the stem cell and regenerative medicine field in 2014 related to diabetes. It’s been a huge year. (Update: read my Fall 2019 interview with ViaCyte here.) For the first time ever, an ES cell-based device has been transplanted into a diabetic patient. ViaCyte working together with Dr. Robert Henry

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Update on Stem Cell Person of the Year Award 2014

October 29, 2014 / Professor Paul Knoepfler, Ph.D.

This year is my third year handing out a Stem Cell Person of the Year Award. The winner each year should be the top, most positive, outside-the-box influencer in the stem cell. Each year it doesn’t get any easier picking just one winner from the groups of amazing finalists chosen by the readers of this blog.

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Map Shows Geographic Surprises in Votes for Stem Cell Person of the Year Award

October 27, 2014 / Professor Paul Knoepfler, Ph.D.

With over 4,000 votes cast to select our top 12 finalists for the 2014 Stem Cell Person of the Year Award from more than 50 different countries, how did the votes from various countries play out? You can see on the map above the top vote getter(s) from the countries that cast the most votes. The

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CIRM 2.0 Launches Alpha Clinics & Continues Bridges Program

October 26, 2014 / Professor Paul Knoepfler, Ph.D.

CIRM issued a press release (PR) a few days ago unveiling CIRM 2.0, a new form of the agency and funding of novel efforts. The PR focused on action by its Governing Board to fund three Alpha Clinic programs for $8 million each at City of Hope (LA), UCLA, and UCSD. The Alpha Clinics will

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Ebola prevention hits home

October 25, 2014 / Professor Paul Knoepfler, Ph.D. / 1 Comment

How are all the thousands of hospitals around the world and here in the US gearing up to deal with the potential arrival of a patient with Ebola? The importance of this issue and how it is resonating so strongly in the medical field hit home for me a bit more a few days ago

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The Betatrophin Blues after Harvard Diabetes pub

October 24, 2014 / Professor Paul Knoepfler, Ph.D. / 9 Comments

All the recent high-profile papers that are having troubles are bumming me out, with the latest example being the “Betatrophin” Diabetes paper from Harvard last year. Yesterday it was called into major doubt by a new Cell paper from a group led by Jesper Gromada at Regeneron. The authors of the original 2013 Betatrophin paper–Doug Melton’s team at Harvard– indicated

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Diverse Stem Cell Person of the Year 2014 Award Finalists

October 23, 2014 / Professor Paul Knoepfler, Ph.D. / 11 Comments

With more than 4,142 votes cast, the readers of this blog have chosen the top 12 finalists for the Stem Cell Person of the Year Award for 2014 from the 27 nominees. You can see the final vote tallies at left. The votes came from more than 50 countries with some interesting geographic patterns (I

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Shinya Yamanaka Interview on Clinical Use of IPSC

October 21, 2014 / Professor Paul Knoepfler, Ph.D. / 10 Comments

I invited Nobel Laureate Shinya Yamanaka to do an interview on the future of clinical translation of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC). He provides some intriguing new insights into the iPSC field and the broader stem cell arena. PK: The Takahashi Team’s active Clinical Study using iPSCs to make RPEs to treat Macular Degeneration has

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Stem Cell Person of the Year Award: Only 2 Days Left To Vote

October 20, 2014 / Professor Paul Knoepfler, Ph.D.

In two days the voting will end to pick the top 12 finalists for Stem Cell Person of the Year 2014 Award. You can vote here. From the finalists I will have the tough decision of picking the winner. Check out who’s in the top 12 now and who the top few vote getters are. Will someone surge

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