Professor Paul Knoepfler, Ph.D., Author at The Niche

Weekly reads: hit pause on human life, CIRM pause, 23andMe data, blast from the past

October 13, 2024 / Professor Paul Knoepfler, Ph.D. / 3 Comments

Remember cryonics, the idea that you could hit pause on human life? This relies on the super-cold power of liquid nitrogen or some other ultra-freezing method. Apparently cryonics is still a thing and there are people with even just their heads frozen. A new story claims a different way to hit the pause button on […]

Weekly reads: hit pause on human life, CIRM pause, 23andMe data, blast from the past Read More »

Readers’ question: do stem cells for Long COVID make sense including for brain fog?

October 10, 2024 / Professor Paul Knoepfler, Ph.D. / 4 Comments

Do stem cells for Long COVID make sense including for associated brain issues? Two readers of The Niche asked me this question recently. Let’s discuss it. Stem cells for Long COVID worth trying? What is Long COVID? A sizable fraction of people who get COVID-19 never fully recover. They may have symptoms like fatigue, brain

Readers’ question: do stem cells for Long COVID make sense including for brain fog? Read More »

Liveyon made $21.6 million says DOJ; leader gets 3 years prison for stem cell activities

October 8, 2024 / Professor Paul Knoepfler, Ph.D. / 1 Comment

Back in late August, Liveyon leader John Kosolcharoen pleaded to federal charges on stem cells. What was Liveyon? Liveyon was a splashy umbilical cord stem cell supplier company. I don’t know if the company is still active now. One of its core products ended up sending dozens of people to the hospital due to contamination

Liveyon made $21.6 million says DOJ; leader gets 3 years prison for stem cell activities Read More »

Weekly reads: test-tube burgers, CRISPR for space travel, more tuft cells

October 6, 2024 / Professor Paul Knoepfler, Ph.D. / Leave a Comment

I’ve written before about so-called test-tube burgers and bacon and other lab grown meat. Test-tube burgers Cells like muscle and fat progenitor cells are the basis for these products. Sometimes stem cells may come into play for such “test-tube burgers” as I generally call this type of lab meat. Cost seems to be a main

Weekly reads: test-tube burgers, CRISPR for space travel, more tuft cells Read More »

ISCT launches new resource on unproven cell & gene therapies

October 3, 2024 / Professor Paul Knoepfler, Ph.D. / 1 Comment

The International Society for Cell & Gene Therapy or ISCT is a great organization in our field. They have launched a new guide to help healthcare providers navigate this complex area. Click on the image below to check it out. This new resource is important because healthcare providers, researchers, and the public need authoritative information.

ISCT launches new resource on unproven cell & gene therapies Read More »

Big spike in FDA warning letters to unproven biologics firms

October 1, 2024 / Professor Paul Knoepfler, Ph.D. / 2 Comments

Dr. Peter Marks, Director of CBER, FDA warning

This year already appears to be a record one for cell and tissue therapy-related warning letters the FDA. Directly or indirectly, these come from the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research or CBER. Something unusual seems to be happening. FDA’s CBER has been exceptionally active in 2024 including on cell & tissue products I’ve

Big spike in FDA warning letters to unproven biologics firms Read More »

Weekly reads: More good news on stem cells for diabetes, Panda stem cells, pricey longevity club

September 29, 2024 / Professor Paul Knoepfler, Ph.D. / 1 Comment

People often ask me what is the most promising new cell therapy and while it is difficult to choose just one, I often highlight the promise of stem cells for diabetes. Here in the U.S., early data from diabetes clinical trials by Vertex look encouraging. Other teams worldwide are also working in this space and

Weekly reads: More good news on stem cells for diabetes, Panda stem cells, pricey longevity club Read More »

FDA wins big in key federal stem cell clinic court case

September 27, 2024 / Professor Paul Knoepfler, Ph.D. / 6 Comments

I think the FDA has been holding its breath on one level for about two years. How freely could it regulate certain unproven fat cell therapies sold by more than a hundred clinics throughout the US? This authority hung in the balance. Now the agency just got a federal court ruling that could free them

FDA wins big in key federal stem cell clinic court case Read More »

Stanford’s Mike Snyder and wellness coach Tony Robbins together yield some puzzling research

September 25, 2024 / Professor Paul Knoepfler, Ph.D. / 3 Comments

Mike Snyder and Tony Robbins, Stanford Tony Robbins

What do you think of when I mention Stanford professor Mike Snyder and self-help guru Tony Robbins together? I would not necessarily have imagined them forming a connection but science is full of surprises. I’ve admired Snyder’s work in genetics for a long time. I’m most familiar these days with Robbins for his interest in

Stanford’s Mike Snyder and wellness coach Tony Robbins together yield some puzzling research Read More »

Weekly reads: George Church’s stem cell startup GC Therapeutics, coral for knees, blast from the past

September 22, 2024 / Professor Paul Knoepfler, Ph.D. / Leave a Comment

Parastoo Khoshakhlagh, Alex Ng, GC Therapeutics

It’s always fun to see startups with cool ideas in the regenerative medicine space and a new one called GC Therapeutics got some nice coverage this week. What do you think the name of this firm stands for? I have one main idea I mention below. Before we jump into it, I want to introduce

Weekly reads: George Church’s stem cell startup GC Therapeutics, coral for knees, blast from the past Read More »

Author name: Professor Paul Knoepfler, Ph.D.