Embryonic stem cells Archives

Lessons for today’s science from when embryonic stem cell research was illegal in US

May 3, 2020 February 1, 2021 / By Professor Paul Knoepfler, Ph.D. / 2 Comments

We kind of take for granted these days that embryonic stem cell research can proceed without any restrictions, at least at the federal level. However, in the early days of blogging here on The Niche the big debate and battle were over federal funding of embryonic stem cell research. Things got very complicated and for …

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Jeanne Loring: hES cell research, Bush, & her career

August 9, 2019 February 1, 2021 / By Professor Paul Knoepfler, Ph.D. / 33 Comments

By Jeanne Loring A stem cell anniversary: 18 years ago today that the US initiated funding of human embryonic stem cell research. August 9, 2001 was a big day for me. George W. Bush was the US president, and it was an understatement to say that I was not very fond of his policies; but …

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US Senate bill would ban embryonic stem cell research

July 31, 2019 February 1, 2021 / By Professor Paul Knoepfler, Ph.D. / 13 Comments

embryonic-stem-cell-research-funding-ban

Here we go again with people trying to ban funding of embryonic stem cell research. Really? Yes, including according to a new article from the Catholic News Agency. Who is trying to get this ban? Some Republicans in The U.S. Senate. I’ve wondered for years if the Trump Administration might take action against embryonic stem …

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New stem cell pubs including artificial human embryo work

July 7, 2019 February 1, 2021 / By Professor Paul Knoepfler, Ph.D. / 3 Comments

Fig-4d-Nat-Cell-Bio-2019-Simunovic-et-al

In this post I list some recent interesting stem cell and science pubs including artificial human embryo research. Engineered human embryo research continues. Scientists for years have been advancing the types of embryo-like structures made from both human and other creature’s cells. In a new Nature Cell Bio pub entitled, “A 3D model of a …

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Possible safety concerns from new stem cell, RPE vision loss study report

June 10, 2018 February 1, 2021 / By Professor Paul Knoepfler, Ph.D. / 2 Comments

Figure-1-Mehat-et-al.-AAO-Journal-2018-810x1024-1

With stem cells for vision loss, first we want to be sure a treatment won’t make things worse. Several teams around the globe are rigorously studying stem cell-based approaches to vision loss via regulatory-compliant studies including for macular degeneration with some results cautiously upbeat on safety from early phase analyses, but data from a new study on …

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Stem cell transplants: hIPSC and hESC behave similarly in brain & often fuse with host cells

August 24, 2017 February 1, 2021 / By Professor Paul Knoepfler, Ph.D. / 8 Comments

What happens following pluripotent stem cell transplants into the brain? Are human IPS and ES cells going to function similarly in this context? We recently published a new translational paper on the behavior of human pluripotent stem cells when transplanted into the adult mouse brain in collaboration with my great UC Davis colleague, Dr. Veronica Martinez-Cerdeno. …

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Where are ES cell foes James Sherley & Theresa Deisher now?

April 14, 2016 February 1, 2021 / By Professor Paul Knoepfler, Ph.D. / 3 Comments

Four or five years ago the top stem cell story was the battle over federal funding of human embryonic stem (ES) cell research in the U.S. by James Sherley and Theresa Deisher. They were the two opponents of ES cell research making the most national headlines. Nature did a whole piece back then on Deisher …

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Ocata bought by Astellas of Japan: initial perspectives on end of an era

November 9, 2015 February 1, 2021 / By Professor Paul Knoepfler, Ph.D. / 7 Comments

Bombshell news in the stem cell field as Ocata Therapeutics (OCAT; formerly Advanced Cell Technology or ACT) is reportedly to be acquired by Astellas Pharma, Inc. The offer for purchase of OCAT will be $8.50/share or almost $380 million. For more details see this detailed PDF from Astellas. This quote on the deal form Ocata: “Paul …

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Advanced Cell Technology pub: Trial for Macular Degeneration

October 14, 2014 February 1, 2021 / By Professor Paul Knoepfler, Ph.D. / 8 Comments

The stem cell biotech Advanced Cell Technology (ACT) reported new, positive data in a paper in Lancet from their clinical trials using retinal pigmented epithelial cells (RPEs) made from human embryonic stem cells (hESC) for treatment of different forms of macular degeneration (MD). The paper was entitled “Human embryonic stem cell-derived retinal pigment epithelium in patients with age-related …

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Review of Mitalipov Nature paper: cloned ES cells vs iPS cells

July 2, 2014 February 1, 2021 / By Professor Paul Knoepfler, Ph.D. / 5 Comments

Just how good are human embryonic stem (ES) cells made by therapeutic cloning via nuclear transfer, with the successful technique first reported by the lab of Shoukhrat Mitalipov at OHSU last year? How do they compare to induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells or traditional ES cells made from IVF embryos? A new paper in Nature directly tackles these …

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