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 […]
Transdifferentiation does not make iPS cells obsolete Read More »
This morning on day two of the World Stem Cell Summit here in Pasadena, Rudy Jaenisch of the Whitehead Institute gave the scientific keynote address. It was a fabulous talk. Rudy Jaenisch, accurately described by Bernie Siegel as a true giant of the stem cell field, outlined the key issues facing the field of highly
Rudy Jaenisch & 5 key action items for the ES and iPS cell field Read More »
Periodically we do updates on the iPS cell field and now seems like a good time. Where do things stand? Here’s my top 5 list of action items for the iPS cell field in the coming year. 5.) Methods on the brain. A significant fraction, some would argue too high a fraction, of iPS cell papers
Top 5 iPS cell action items Read More »
George Bush deserves credit for iPS cells? No way. One of the weapons in the war against stem cell therapies is the use of a seemingly simple word: “ethical”. What does it mean to do ethical science in general and in particular what is ethical stem cell research? Who decides? According to the opponents of
News flash: George Bush deserves credit for iPS cells? Read More »
What’s the connection between iPS cells and endangered species? Stem cell-based regenerative medicine has the potential to help treat not only humans with injuries or illness, but also veterinary patients such as dogs and horses. Is it also possible that stem cell technology could prevent extinction of endangered species? A recent paper suggests this may
iPS cells and endangered species: a recipe to avoid extinction? Read More »
I have posted before about publishing trends in the iPS cell field here and in here…. but where do things stand today? Here, I provide an important update. What’s going on now? Here I provide answers to the key questions. How many papers are there on iPS cells? An interesting and unexpected trend for
Everything you need to know about publishing in the iPS cell field Read More »
Periodically we do updates on the iPS cell field and now seems like a good time. Where do things stand? Here’s my top 5 list of action items for the iPS cell field in the coming year. 5.) Methods on the brain. A significant fraction, some would argue too high a fraction, of iPS cell
Key iPS cell action items Read More »
Recently I polled my readers on how they make iPS cells and what the best method is in their opinion. The surprising results to date are above. The first thing that is striking is how dominant the Yamanaka method remains after 5 years. Despite scads of papers reporting new methods that are supposedly better in
Striking results from iPS cell poll Read More »
You can pick more than one in our poll on the induced pluripotent stem cell (iPS cell) method that you prefer.
Poll on iPS cell method Read More »
I think the iPS cell field is at a crossroads. The next year will be critical for determining the direction for the field. iPS cells have been around almost half as long as human ES cells, so maybe it is no longer appropriate to call the iPS cell field “new”, even though to me it
iPS cell predictions for the next year: yours and mine (take the poll) Read More »