November 2012 - Page 2 of 2

Yamanaka on making iPS cells from each patient: ‘in reality, we cannot do that’

November 12, 2012 February 1, 2021 / By Professor Paul Knoepfler, Ph.D. / 1 Comment

One of the big issues related to using induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells is cost. To make iPS cells from each patient for subsequent stem cell-based treatment would cost a fortune, by some estimates $200,000 or more per patient if done one-by-one. It could easily end up not being covered by insurances companies and Medicare, …

Yamanaka on making iPS cells from each patient: ‘in reality, we cannot do that’ Read More »

Thoughts on prostate cancer…3 years out

November 12, 2012 February 1, 2021 / By Professor Paul Knoepfler, Ph.D. / 8 Comments

Three years ago I found myself in a tough spot to put it mildly with a prostate cancer diagnosis at age 42. In October 2009 I had a mildly elevated PSA test result (see more on that below) leading to a prostate biopsy. At the end of that month I had just received the news …

Thoughts on prostate cancer…3 years out Read More »

Eight simple reasons not to get an unlicensed stem cell treatment: reason 1 is lost health insurance

November 10, 2012 February 1, 2021 / By Professor Paul Knoepfler, Ph.D. / 12 Comments

Patients ask me all the time about stem cell treatments. Some are curious. Some have already had treatments. Others are very seriously considering a treatment, but haven’t done so yet. Some are open-minded. Some are not. Some are angry with me for my track record of criticizing for-profit, unlicensed clinics offering stem cell treatments. In …

Eight simple reasons not to get an unlicensed stem cell treatment: reason 1 is lost health insurance Read More »

Money and stem cell ‘miracles’: Pluristem questioned on ethics

November 8, 2012 February 1, 2021 / By Professor Paul Knoepfler, Ph.D. / 1 Comment

Pluristem Therapeutics Inc. is a publicly traded (NASDAQ) biotech Israeli company that is developing stem cell treatments based on the use of expanded placental stem cells called PLX cells. The Pluristem PLX drug is not approved for treating patients at this time in any country, however Pluristem has treated a handful of patients via something …

Money and stem cell ‘miracles’: Pluristem questioned on ethics Read More »

Why Romney lost: lessons for needed GOP course correction

November 7, 2012 February 1, 2021 / By Professor Paul Knoepfler, Ph.D. / 1 Comment

Last night President Obama decisively won re-election over GOP candidate Mitt Romney. Democrats also won quite a number of Senate seats that only a few months ago seemed destined to go to the GOP. Why was it such a bad night for the GOP? I believe the reasons they lost give insight into a new …

Why Romney lost: lessons for needed GOP course correction Read More »

Text mining journal Stem Cells: intriguing comparison to Cell Stem Cell

November 6, 2012 February 1, 2021 / By Professor Paul Knoepfler, Ph.D. / 1 Comment

I recently did a text mining of all the article titles for Cell Stem Cell for 2012. The results were very insightful (expressed in a beautiful word cloud) for the journal and what are the top areas of focus of authors publishing there. I just did the same analysis for the journal Stem Cells and …

Text mining journal Stem Cells: intriguing comparison to Cell Stem Cell Read More »

Is Moriguchi a tip of an iceberg for ethical problems in science? How many Moriguchi Jr’s are out there?

November 5, 2012 February 1, 2021 / By Professor Paul Knoepfler, Ph.D.

The big scandal about alleged, later mostly recanted transplants of iPS cells (for more on iPS cells see here) into human patients centered on one fellow named Hisashi Moriguchi. For more on the case see here. Clearly Moriguchi is to blame for his lies. The paper Yomiuri is also to blame for splashing the unverified …

Is Moriguchi a tip of an iceberg for ethical problems in science? How many Moriguchi Jr’s are out there? Read More »

Text mining Cell Stem Cell: surprising insights into the journal

November 3, 2012 February 1, 2021 / By Professor Paul Knoepfler, Ph.D. / 1 Comment

Cell Stem Cell was the winner of my 2011 best stem cell journal award (see 2011 awards here, 2012 awards will be announced in early January). As I’ve “complained” in the past, the only thing I wish would be different is they’d publish even more articles per issue or per month! But what exactly does Cell …

Text mining Cell Stem Cell: surprising insights into the journal Read More »

Most surprising things to know about Romney

November 2, 2012 February 1, 2021 / By Professor Paul Knoepfler, Ph.D. / 3 Comments

Think you know Mitt Romney? I don’t feel like I do. I hope those sandwiches he’s handing out are PB&J….. Here are the 10 most surprising things about Romney that you might not know. 10. He’s fluent in French. Nothing wrong with that, but his very anti-European rhetoric doesn’t seem to fit with this. See …

Most surprising things to know about Romney Read More »

Vatican reboots stem cell meeting for 2013, boots ES cell researchers

November 1, 2012 February 1, 2021 / By Professor Paul Knoepfler, Ph.D. / 6 Comments

The Vatican is still interested in stem cells and after its own debacle with a stem cell meeting planned for 2012 that turned into a scandal for them. For that original 2012 meeting they had wisely invited a full spectrum of stem cell researchers including those working on embryonic stem cells, to have great discussions. …

Vatican reboots stem cell meeting for 2013, boots ES cell researchers Read More »

Month: November 2012