CRISPR gene editing has made rapid progress heading from bench to bedside. Perhaps the fastest has been its progress toward clinical use to combat sickle cell disease. We’ll start with a new paper on one major effort here. CRISPR gene editing. This process often involves cutting DNA, which then can be used as an opening to […]
Weekly reads: CRISPR sickle cell, Parkinson’s, pig-human chimera concerns Read More »
Cells including stem cells are grown in liquid solutions called media and stem cell culture medium composition is crucial since the ingredients have a powerful impact on the cells. The media affects the cells’ identities and functions. It also impacts the risks of using specific regenerative products. My first job in science was isolating and
Why stem cell culture medium composition is such a big deal Read More »
Stem cell biologist Jacob Hanna has a new startup called Renewal Bio. Its goal is to harvest cells or tissues from human embryo or fetus models for clinical use. I believe that their commercial ambitions have so far outstripped careful thought and discussion in the broader community of researchers. There are major risks here for
‘We don’t want to freak people out’: about that Jacob Hanna human embryo model startup Read More »
Parabiosis refers to the joining together of two animals, typically rodents in research. They become one interconnected living system that shares blood. Research on mouse parabiosis has sparked much interest in anti-aging therapies. These might utilize “young” materials to help older people. Our first recommended read is a parabiosis paper. Before we jump into that,
Weekly stem cell reads: parabiosis, UC Davis trial, HeLa lawsuit, gray hair Read More »
When someone uses the term “adult stem cells” you might think that simply means stem cells from adults. However, it’s not that simple. The goal of today’s post is to help you get all the key facts about adult stem cells. This includes the different types of adult stem cells and their clinical potential. What
What are adult stem cells & their clinical applications? Read More »
What are embryonic stem cells and how do we scientists obtain them? My lab here at UC Davis School of Medicine has been doing research on embryonic stem cells for more than 14 years. You’ve come to the right place for expert answers on these very intriguing cells. What’s in this article Where do embryonic
What are embryonic stem cells & where do they come from? Read More »
Imagine receiving a smidgeon of thymus gland along with a donated heart or kidney, to fool the immune system into accepting the transplant. Authors of a new study argue that might be possible, based on their new proof-of-principle experiments. The team from the Epithelial Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine lab at the Francis Crick
Stem cells seed a new thymus, clinical hope? Read More »
Sometimes patients or my students ask me, “What are the best stem cells?” what information are they looking for? I think they often are looking for the most powerful stem cells so perhaps they should be asking, “What are totipotent stem cells?” Other times it seems what patients specifically want to know is what might
What are totipotent stem cells & what can they do? Read More »
Would you eat lab grown meat? Envision biting into a warm juicy burger with all the trimmings. Lab grown meat intro If you are a burger fan, your mouth may already be watering. Or maybe you prefer steak or bacon? If you are a vegetarian or animal welfare advocate, however, you might be rather disturbed
Not Old MacDonald’s Farm: is the future lab grown meat? Read More »
As a researcher, is there ever enough time to get to everything that you want to read especially in newer areas like stem cells, organoids, and CRISPR, without even including non-scientific reads like Shakespeare or a new novel or something like that? Hopefully, putting together lists of recommended reads like today’s post is helpful. I
Weekly reads on organoids, COVID, CRISPR, cold chromatin, more Read More »