The Niche is the top, most authoritative stem cell and regenerative medicine blog on the web and the only one to our knowledge written by a professor. It is mainly written by Professor Paul Knoepfler of UC Davis School of Medicine, an internationally respected stem cell biologist and educator. Knoepfler is an advocate of rigorous […]
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Nominations have closed and we have more than two dozen nominations for Stem Cell Person of the Year 2014. It’s an exciting, diverse group including some news faces as well as nominees from years past as well. Happy Stem Cell Day! You can now vote for your choice for the top finalists in the poll
Stem Cell Person of the Year 2014 Award: Vote To Choose 12 Finalists Read More »
StemCells Inc. is a top biotech company developing stem cell-based therapies. They have a deep pipeline that includes already ongoing trials for a variety of diseases. I invited company leadership to do an interview and they graciously accepted. Below is the interview with CFO Greg Schiffman (picture at left from LinkedIn) including what I thought
Interview with StemCells Inc. leadership on hot topics Read More »
Dr. Yoshiki Sasai (笹井芳樹) former Deputy Director of the RIKEN CDB and a senior author on the STAP papers, has reportedly died from suicide. Update: The Japan Times writes on this situation that Sasai was found hanging at RIKEN and there may have been a suicide note. Dr. Sasai was a top scholar in the stem
Stem cell tragedy: Yoshiki Sasai (笹井芳樹) commits suicide Read More »
I have been corresponding now and then with Dr. Teru Wakayama about the ongoing STAP situation. He asked me to pass along the following message from him for clarification on the STAP Nature paper retraction and the origin of the STAP stem cells (STAP-SC). I would like to take this opportunity to explain the reason for
New Message from Wakayama on STAP retraction & origin of STAP-SC Read More »
I’ve really enjoyed day 2 of ISSCR 2014. So far this day has already packed in a slew of great talks both in the lecture halls and outside one-on-one with old friends and new ones. How great is that? I’ll focus on just a few highlights to keep it concise. Dubious stem cell clinics and
ISSCR 2014 Day 2: Navigating Balanced Stem Cell Path to Clinic Read More »
Very small embryonic-like stem cells aka VSELs are reported to be tiny adult stem cells that are pluripotent or non-existent depending on whom you talk to most recently or which paper you just read. These very controversial cells (which I once compared to the Sasquatch) have a wildly fluctuating history with their existence on multiple occasions
Wild History of VSELs Predicts Future of STAP Cells? Read More »
I believe that social media has on the whole had a strongly positive impact on the STAP cell situation that the stem cell field has been grappling with for 5 weeks. If the STAP method is proven to be correct at some later date, which is possible, it’s almost certain that those replication efforts will
Social Media Helps Field Deal With Stressful STAP Stem Cell Situation Read More »
We know quite a bit more about the Nature papers on stress-induced STAP stem cells than we did just a couple weeks ago when they were published, but there are many crucial outstanding questions too and odd things that remain unresolved. Below are my top STAP stem cell oddities. 10. Dr. Vacanti says that STAP
Oddest Things About Unfolding STAP Stem Cell Story Read More »
The recent publication of two Nature papers by a team in part led by Dr. Charles Vacanti on acid treatment produced stem cells (so-called STAP stem cells) has been a blockbuster story in the stem cell field and has grabbed major global media attention as well. For background my review of the paper here and more thoughts here. Many
Interview with Charles Vacanti on STAP Cells: Link to Spore Stem Cells & More Read More »