When I first read in 2019 that George Church previously had ties to Jeffrey Epstein, I felt disappointed. It’s been fun following Church’s research over the years. I even interviewed him here on The Niche about human germline CRISPR. Now, unfortunately, there are new revelations about Church’s Personal Genome Project (PGP) in the recent Epstein […]
It’s discouraging to see many media outlets posting sponsored content on stem cells and I never thought I’d see such an advertorial in The Atlantic. Yet there it was! Sponsored content on stem cells from The Atlantic Here it is: Stem Cell Transplantation’s New Frontiers, The Atlantic. Usually sponsored content on stem cells is junky. Most
The FDA has cleared a trial of ER-100 from Life Biosciences for eye rejuvenation. In the trial, ER-100 will deliver inducible expression of the three reprogramming factors. OCT4, SOX2, and KLF4 are colloquially known together as OSK. This trial is an extension of the work of Harvard professor and longevity enthusiast David Sinclair. The hypothesis here
FDA OKs risky, pioneering OSK rejuvenation trial with Sinclair’s ER-100 Read More »
It was exciting when the combined cell and gene therapies Casgevy and Lyfgenia were approved for sickle cell in late 2023. Still, one of the anticipated challenges was that the therapies could be so expensive that it would limit access. However, since the approval another challenge has emerged for Casgevy. We’ll start there, but first
There’s a new Wyoming stem cell bill that poses risks to the public. The so-called Stem Cell Freedom Act would allow clinical use of non-FDA-approved cells in that state. With this, Wyoming joins other states such as Florida that are pushing back on the FDA. The new Florida stem cell law is likely already causing
Wyoming stem cell bill is latest risky, anti-FDA state legislation Read More »
Scientists sometimes disagree about research including not just what data might mean, but also what kinds of rules there should be about research like stem cell-based embryo models (SCBEM). It makes sense that the most cutting-edge research tends to spark the strongest disagreements. For instance, there’s no consensus on how much clinical trial data should
Weekly reads: human SCBEM framework, reporter self-injects peptides, ASD, NAMs Read More »
Roman Reed has been a long-time, highly effective stem cell research advocate. He was one of the first recipients of The Niche Stem Cell Person of the Year Award. For years here in California something called Roman’s Law provided crucial funding for research. Eventually the funding ran out so now it’s time to help make
In support of the Roman Reed Spinal Cord Injury Research Act Read More »
NIH just announced a fetal tissue research ban. We can also expect an end (or close to it) to funding of human embryonic stem cell (hESC) research soon. There have been signs these were coming. Fetal tissue research ban, hESCs likely next Here’s the announcement: NIH Announces Major Policy Shift to End Use of Human
About a decade ago, I started giving out stem cell hype awards, including one for a stem cells for stroke headline. It was way over the top: ‘Stanford researchers ‘stunned’ by stem cell experiment that helped stroke patient walk’. This is one of the most sensationalized stem cell headlines ever, but it’s not alone. What
Stem cells for stroke hype awardee 10 years ago now tells a cautionary tale Read More »
FDA politics and ideology-driven decision-making seem more complex than ever. Much of this is due to RFK Jr. being atop HHS. Before we dig into that, if you missed it, you might check out my predictions for the regenerative medicine field for the new year of 2026. It’s going to be a whirlwind of policy