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Komen Foundation open to funding human embryonic stem cell research

February 7, 2012 / Professor Paul Knoepfler, Ph.D. / 2 Comments

Interestingly, the Komen Foundation appears open to funding human embryonic stem cell (hESC) research. The latest report from Science includes a quote from Komen that denies any changes in funding policy for research and suggests they have not ruled out funding such research: Contrary to circulating online reports, Komen has not “de-funded” any grantee based on human embryonic stem […]

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From boobs to baldness: stem cell cosmetics

February 6, 2012 / Professor Paul Knoepfler, Ph.D. / 2 Comments

What are stem cell cosmetics? The use of stem cells for cosmetics and cosmetic procedures is exploding even while many important questions remain. How legitimate are these stem cell cosmetic products and procedures? Are they safe and effective? What kinds of medical conditions are they being used to treat? I also recently did a post

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How can a vulture or other birds be so majestic?

February 4, 2012 / Professor Paul Knoepfler, Ph.D. / 2 Comments

A vulture soaring above a soccer game. Photo by Knoepfler.

Birds can amazing creatures. Around noon today I was down in the Mt. Diablo, CA area for one of my daughter’s soccer games. The soccer field was in the hills and effortlessly soaring above the field for much of the game was the bird whose picture is above. The wingspan looked to be about 6

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Lessons from the Komen Fiasco and Propaganda Wars

February 3, 2012 / Professor Paul Knoepfler, Ph.D. / 3 Comments

The Komen foundation has had a rough couple weeks, huh? First, it said it would not longer provide support to Planned Parenthood under pressure from anti-choice extremists, some of whom appear to have infiltrated Komen itself. Predictably, there was a firestorm of criticism that has damaged Komen and arguably may have actually been quite helpful

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Komen Foundation Betrays Women

February 1, 2012 / Professor Paul Knoepfler, Ph.D. / 4 Comments

The Susan G. Komen Foundation has done so much good over the years in its fight against breast cancer that it is particularly disturbing to learn that they have betrayed women. Betray is a strong word and I don’t use it lightly, but I think it is appropriate in this case. To me the pink

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Transdifferentiation does not make iPS cells obsolete

February 1, 2012 / Professor Paul Knoepfler, Ph.D. / 3 Comments

human-IPS-cells-made-in-Knoeplfer-lab-stained-for-TRA-160

Do we still need iPS cells if transdifferentiation is so cool? Wait, how did we get to the point that people are asking me that extreme question? When iPS cells were first introduced to the world by Shinya Yamanaka, who I think will win the Nobel Prize sometime in the next few years, some folks went

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A critique of the Witherspoon Institute stem cell report

January 31, 2012 / Professor Paul Knoepfler, Ph.D. / 16 Comments

Lately I have been critical of an ultra-conservative political think tank-like foundation called the Witherspoon Institute. They have recently joined the federal lawsuit as friends of the plaintiffs suing to stop federal funding of embryonic stem cell research. The Witherspoon Council has just published a 100+ page report on stem cells in the very conservative, somewhat obscure

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Is Obama anti-science?

January 30, 2012 / Professor Paul Knoepfler, Ph.D. / 2 Comments

When I make the argument as I have repeatedly on this blog and in other contexts that as a whole the Republican Party and its leadership are anti-science, one of the counter arguments fired back at me is that Obama is himself anti-science. My initial reaction to this “Obama is anti-science” argument is somewhat visceral,

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Secrets of the Witherspoon Gang

January 29, 2012 / Professor Paul Knoepfler, Ph.D. / 1 Comment

What’s the Witherspoon Institute? Most of you know about the 2 scientists who for their own reasons want to kill embryonic stem cell (ESC) research and with it the hopes for millions of people. Relatively new on most of our radar screens, however, is an extremist right-wing “think tank” called The Witherspoon Institute, which I

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Update on embryonic stem cell court case

January 27, 2012 / Professor Paul Knoepfler, Ph.D. / 4 Comments

Federal funding of human embryonic stem cell (hESC) research is hanging by a tenuous thread at the moment. While currently legal, such funding is at the mercy of a legal case making its way through the courts. The latest stop for this case is a review by a 3-judge panel of the DC Circuit Court.

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