IPS cells

US Senate bill would ban embryonic stem cell research

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 …

US Senate bill would ban embryonic stem cell research Read More »

Hope on Parkinson’s front: Japan IPSC trial 1st patient

Fig-3i-Kikuchi-et-al.-Nature-2017-IPS-cell-Parkinsons-

In Parkinson’s Disease patients develop neurological dysfunction as they lose a special kind of brain cell called dopaminergic (or dopamine) neurons. While a number of different approaches to this disease have been studied for decades, nothing has proven particularly successful in slowing its progression. As a result there has been a big need for novel thinking …

Hope on Parkinson’s front: Japan IPSC trial 1st patient Read More »

Launch of Jun Takahashi IPS Cell Trial For Parkinson’s Disease

Jun-Takahashi-252x3001

A much-anticipated induced pluripotent stem (IPS) cell trial for Parkinson’s Disease reportedly will soon launch led by Professor Jun Takahashi. The news broke on Yahoo Japan, which included an unusual number of appropriately sober statements regarding the trial, even though it is an exciting trial as well, compared to most media stories on stem cells. …

Launch of Jun Takahashi IPS Cell Trial For Parkinson’s Disease Read More »

Japan stem cell oversight system too lax?

HeartSheet-Japan-system-stem-cell-oversight

The Japan stem cell and regenerative medicine oversight system has been designed to move investigational therapies forward fast, much faster than the systems in other countries such as the U.S. But how well is it working so far? It’s an important question both for that country and more globally as the Japanese system was touted …

Japan stem cell oversight system too lax? Read More »

TGIF: Guns, stem cells, science weekends reads & good news

Wakabayashi-et-al.-Cell-Stem-Cell-Figure-1F

I’ve got some TGIF recommend reads on stem cells, etc, but first, what a week, right? We need more action on preventing gun violence. It’s a uniquely American health crisis that doesn’t have to be. There’s no real, common sense reason that gun control can’t reduce mass killings of our kids and others like the …

TGIF: Guns, stem cells, science weekends reads & good news Read More »

Perspectives on high-profile stem cell retraction in the making from Kyoto University

IPS-cell-paper-retraction-requested

A researcher working at Kyoto University has reportedly engaged in misconduct leading to an institutional request for retraction of a paper from the journal Stem Cell Reports. The paper in question appears to have rather large-scale problems: “Kohei Yamamizu, a specially appointed assistant professor at the university’s Center for iPS Cell Research and Application, falsified all …

Perspectives on high-profile stem cell retraction in the making from Kyoto University Read More »

CRISPR to make IPS cells: review of new Ding lab paper

Liu-et-al-Cell-Stem-Cell-IPS-cells-2018

CRISPR and IPS cells are two of my favorite things so when they come together as in a cool, new paper from Sheng Ding’s lab, I’m excited to read it and curious as to what the scoop is. Since 2006-2007 when mouse and human reprogramming were first reported, many different methods have been explored to …

CRISPR to make IPS cells: review of new Ding lab paper Read More »

Adverse event in IPS cell (ips細胞) trial for vision loss in Japan: initial perspectives

Takahashi-IPS-transplant

A team of researchers at RIKEN and Kobe City Medical Center reported at a press conference today a serious adverse event in a clinical trial participant receiving an induced pluripotent stem cell (IPS cell)-based therapy for vision loss. According to Japan Times and Yahoo! Japan (in Japanese), the patient in question in the IPS cell …

Adverse event in IPS cell (ips細胞) trial for vision loss in Japan: initial perspectives Read More »

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

Martinez-Cerdeno-Figure-6

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. …

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

Takahashi team IPS cell vision paper marks major stem cell milestone

Takahashi-IPS-transplant

Ring the bell for a stem cell milestone, specifically for iPS cell work. There’s been a whole lot of commotion about the NEJM article yesterday documenting the experiences of three women with macular degeneration who were blinded by non-FDA approved stem cell eye injections of fat stem cells at a business in Florida, but in the …

Takahashi team IPS cell vision paper marks major stem cell milestone Read More »