macular degeneration Archives

Masayo Takahashi (高橋政代): exciting vision work advancing including with photoreceptors

December 22, 2019 December 22, 2023 / By Professor Paul Knoepfler, Ph.D. / 3 Comments

Masayo Takahashi is a leading stem cell researcher doing translational and clinical research on vision. She’s doing pioneering work on using pluripotent stem cells as a basis for helping patients with vision loss such as due to macular degeneration. She won The Niche’s Stem Cell Person of the Year Award in 2014 and a number …

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Stem cell news bites: Astellas trial, cystic fibrosis claim, a few cool papers

August 7, 2018 February 1, 2021 / By Professor Paul Knoepfler, Ph.D. / 5 Comments

Stem cell news is always burbling up, sometimes right there in front of us on the web and other times via networks of people. Astellas news. Some may remember there used to be this pioneering stem cell biotech called ACT, which then became Ocata, and finally was acquired by the big company Astellas. One of …

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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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Masayo Takahashi (高橋政代) on IPSC Trial for Vision

July 7, 2015 December 22, 2023 / By Professor Paul Knoepfler, Ph.D. / 9 Comments

Masayo Takahashi (高橋政代) on IPSC Trial for Macular Degeneration By Michael Cea Stem Cell Analyst & Advocate (editor’s note: piece was originally posted on Michael’s blog here; follow Michael on Twitter @msemporda) Masayo Takahashi interview Having followed closely the developments in programs using pluripotent based therapeutics I was fortunate during ISSCR2015 to have the opportunity to …

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Landmark IPSC clinical study on hold due to genomic issue

July 1, 2015 December 22, 2023 / By Professor Paul Knoepfler, Ph.D. / 42 Comments

The pioneering induced pluripotent stem cell (IPSC) clinical study in Japan led by top stem cell clinical researcher Dr. Masayo Takahashi has been stopped reports the WSJ in Japan. This development is confirmed by other sources and in a PDF report by RIKEN (in Japanese here). One patient was transplanted in September 2014 with their own IPSC-derived …

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