Month: November 2012

Review of the new Zaret Cell paper on Myc & OSK in cellular reprogramming

There’s a new paper out this week in Cell from the Zaret lab that is very exciting. In this manuscript, Facilitators and Impediments of the Pluripotency Reprogramming Factors’ Initial Engagement with the Genome, Zaret’s team explores how Myc and Oct4, Sox2, and Klf4 (OSK) behave at the genomic level during cellular reprogramming. What are the most …

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Do human Very Small Embryonic-Like Stem Cells (VSEL) exist as a normal population of actual stem cells?

Supposedly there is a type of normal adult stem cell that intrinsically possesses many of the same properties as embryonic stem cells (ESCs). No reprogramming needed. No blastocysts needed. These reportedly amazing cells, called Very Small Embryonic-Like Stem Cells (VSELs), can in theory be isolated from umbilical cord blood (UCB) or even bone marrow. Yet …

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What did Nasa Mars Rover Curiosity find? Interesting poll results

I did a poll of what people think Nasa’s big announcement that they said is coming about a history-making discovery of the Mars Rover. The results are above. The top two answers, adding up to nearly 60% of responses, represent very high expectations as both would suggest life has existed on Mars. If you take …

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‘Making it up as go along’ & ‘take a shot in the dark’ emblematic of mentality of unlicensed stem cell doctors

The Vegas trial of Dr. Ralph Conti, accused of dangerous stem cell fraud, is going on and reportedly some of the testimony is astonishing in terms of the attitudes of point-of-care, for profit stem cell clinic disregard for their patients. The doctor is quoted that in terms of the stem cell treatments of human patients …

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Surprising human genomic mosaicism means not all your cells have the same DNA

The field of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) has really shaken up science over the last half dozen years reversing our notion that differentiated cells are stuck in that fate, when in reality they are plastic and can “turn back the clock” to become embryonic stem cell-like cells. Now we have an iPSC paper in Nature, …

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CIRM comment on prospect of BioTime buying Geron stem cell program

When biotech Geron punted on its embryonic stem cell (ESC) program despite having an ongoing FDA-approved clinical trial for spinal cord injury and tens of millions in loan funding from CIRM, many in the stem cell field were upset to put it mildly. Geron repaid the CIRM loan with interest. At the time, the general …

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8 simple reasons not to get an unlicensed stem cell treatment part 2: lack of follow-up

I’m doing a series of posts on straightforward reasons why patients should not get unlicensed stem cell treatments. Part 1 of the series was on the risk of losing medical insurance coverage. Today is part 2, which is focused on a serious failing of many for-profit, point-of-care stem cell clinics selling unlicensed treatments: lack of …

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Knoepfler Lab Award for Stem Cell Person of the Year 2012 with $1000 cash prize: open for nominations

Over the years I’ve given out yearly awards on this blog for various achievements (good or not so good) in the stem cell field for specific years. See 2010 and 2011 awards here. This year the Knoepfler Lab 2012 Awards are going to be the most exciting ever. I’m going to give out some of …

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