Search Results for: Genetics

Weekly reads: Vertex & CRISPR Therapeutics, Arnold Caplan death, MS genetics

January 14, 2024 / By / 5 Comments
CRISPR Therapeutics

The biotechs Vertex and CRISPR Therapeutics have an interesting relationship as biotechs. They are partners are multiple levels but also are very different as companies including in size. There’s been a key development in one of their partnerships. Before we jump into that, please check out the video version of my 20 stem cell and …

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Weekly reads: clonal expansion, Golden Retriever cancer, FTC hits genetics firm on testi-phony-als

November 25, 2023 / By / 1 Comment
clonal selection

Let’s start this week’s digest with a discussion of clonal expansion and mutations during cell and gene therapy development. Here’s the article that brought this to mind. Sickle cell gene therapy process may cause cancer-linked mutations in blood stem cells, Fierce Biotech. Clonal expansion This is a story about a non-CRISPR gene therapy using a …

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Conversation with Harmit Malik on Gene Drive & Genetics

February 1, 2021 / By
Harmit-Malik

Gene drive is a powerful, emerging genetic technology that can force genetic modification into an entire population. For more background on gene drive you can read my previous post. It’s a very exciting, but potentially dangerous technology with sizable possible risks. Recently I had an intriguing conversation with leading geneticist Harmit Malik on gene drive. What …

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New iPS cell conventional wisdom from polls: epigenetics & mutations remain concerns, immunogenicity not so much

February 1, 2021 / By / 1 Comment

I recently did a series of 4 polls on potential roadblock issues in the iPS cell field. The impetus for these polls was my sense that there were substantial differences in views on whether iPS cells were now proven to be equivalent to ES cells in 4 key ways. Turns out the polls got a …

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A layman’s guide to stem cell epigenetics: if you don’t understand epigenetics you don’t know stem cells

February 1, 2021 / By

I know you care about stem cells and research, but do you know much about epigenetics? You should. If you do not understand epigenetics then you do not understand stem cells. Don’t be put off by the complicated sounding name “epigenetics”. It’s really simple conceptually and below is your easy-to-understand guide. Epigenetics controls nearly every …

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Perspectives on new stem cells for paralysis paper & media coverage

April 10, 2024 / By / 5 Comments
stem cells for paralysis

A new paper on stem cells for paralysis from a Mayo Clinic team has sparked a bit of legitimate hope but also some hype in the media. The publication was in Nature Communications. It is entitled “Intrathecal delivery of adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells in traumatic spinal cord injury: Phase I trial.” The approach was direct injection …

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2023 The Screamers Science Hype Award goes to anti-aging media coverage

December 29, 2023 / By / 4 Comments
The Screamers Science Hype Awards.

Every year I give out The Screamers Science Hype Award. The point of The Screamers is to raise awareness about science hype and catalyze new ways to combat it. In that spirit, I award what I see as the most extreme examples of science hype. Sometimes in addition to the one main winner, I give “honorable” …

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Holiday reads: woolly dog vs. mammoth, man eggs, designer B-cells, bluebird bio blues

December 23, 2023 / By / Leave a Comment
woolly dog

What is a woolly dog? Is it somehow related to the Woolly Mammoth? Before we get into that and the rest of my recommended reads, note that I’m finalizing my list of contenders for this year’s The Screamers Science Hype Awards. Last year The BBC won The Screamers for an article “Baby’s life ‘probably saved’ …

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