Why doesn’t the brain fix itself using stem cells the way other organs do? Earlier this week I was lecturing to students here at UC Davis on stem cells. One of the points I raised was that most if not all of our organs have a compliment of stem cells that are there to maintain …
Stem cells on the brain: why can’t the brain just fix itself? Read More »
Many folks believe that if you can kill or otherwise inactivate cancer stem cells, you’ve gone a long way to curing many types of cancer. However the cells have remained elusive. Now, Mick Bhatia’s lab has found that the antipsychotic drug, Thioridazine, has activity against cancer stem cells. The work, published in Cell (read paper …
TGIF It’s been a wild week on this blog with many thoughts going out to the future of stem cells in Texas. What about stem cell headlines of the week? Some wildness there too and lots of discussion of translational applications, which is exciting. This week let’s start in reverse order with the ugly and …
TGIF: good, bad, ugly stem cell headlines of week of May 25 Read More »
The International Cellular Medicine Society (ICMS) has emerged as an important organization related to stem cell regulatory issues. I think that many people do not understand what ICMS is all about and it certainly evokes strong opinions in the stem cell field. If you care about stem cells then you need to know about ICMS …
ICMS President Rodriguez interview on adult stem cell regulatory issues Read More »
Wait, what’s that taboo elephant doing in the IPS cell lab? You don’t see it? I’m starting a new series called “The Elephant in the Lab” where I discuss controversial laboratory topics that people are usually too afraid to publicly discuss. We are starting with iPS cells. (for a description and definition of iPS cells …
Taboo topics about iPS cells: the elephant in the lab series Read More »
A rumor is now going around that some dubious stem cell docs and clinics are likely to get visits from the FBI soon! The FDA, which has just recently issued a couple warning letters (here and here), potentially together with the FBI, may be poised to take more decisive action in the near future in the next …
Stem cell grapevine: FBI readying to take more action against dubious clinics & docs Read More »
What’s the deal with California Prop. 29? Every so often a proposition comes along that just flat out makes complete sense. Arguing against it is sort of like saying the Earth is flat. Just such a proposition is California Prop. 29, which will be voted on on Tuesday, June 5 as part of the presidential …
Vote “Yes” on Prop 29 to help find a cure for cancer Read More »
I like many shows on the Discovery Channel. However, Discovery Channel just made a sad, anti-science sellout in their new series “Frozen Planet”. It’s no exaggeration to say that the producers of the series intentionally left out the heart of science from the show when it came to global warming. Why would they do that? It …
Discovery Channel sellout is victory for the anti-science crowd Read More »
Long-time television and music personality, Dick Clark, has passed away at age 82 today. Growing up as a kid in the 1970s and 80s, I knew Dick Clark from American Bandstand and $20,000 pyramid, but more than that I knew him for how amazingly young he always looked. I was not a big fan of …
Lessons from Dick Clark about aging and stem cells Read More »
Is Vitamin D a miracle drug or a disappointment like almost all other vitamins? Just recently there was a piece saying that Vitamin D may reduce pain. Today there was another news article saying Vitamin D may protect men against more aggressive prostate cancer. You name the condition and Vitamin D is claimed to help with …
Vitamin D: is this supplement helpful or hype-ful? Read More »