When I first started The Niche more than a dozen years ago, I hoped we’d see a Parkinson’s disease stem cell therapy by now. A proven one. I was a little too optimistic back then. Now in 2022, I know much better how hard translation to the bedside can be in general. Still, I’m hopeful. …
Parkinson’s disease stem cell therapy research update Read More »
It was a shock to learn today that New York Stem Cell Foundation CEO and Co-Founder Susan Solomon had passed away yesterday after a long battle with ovarian cancer. I met Susan a few times over the years and was always struck by her positive energy. At a practical level she got big things done …
Tributes to NYSCF leader & stem cell advocate Susan Solomon Read More »
The first time I heard CAR-T cells referred to as a regenerative medicine it made me stop and think. Are CAR-T therapies really a type of regenerative medicine? Generally, CAR-T cells are a designer immune cell therapy. They work by killing cancer cells and that’s what came to mind to me. I don’t tend to …
What are CAR-T cells & are they regenerative medicine? Read More »
The Pink Sheet just broke the story that the FDA may change up its oversight of the cell therapy space. This possible shift could drop the oversight bar somewhat for certain products. Most likely it’d be those with lower anticipated risks. The Pink Sheet piece by Sue Sutter is titled US FDA To Explore New Regulatory Pathways …
One size doesn’t fit all? FDA may soften some cell therapy regs Read More »
When it comes to stem cells on Twitter and other social media, who do you follow now? Why them? Who are the top stem cell and regenerative medicine influencers to follow on Twitter and elsewhere in 2022? Stem cells on Twitter: great content amongst the noise Top stem cell and regenerative medicine influencers on Twitter. …
50 influencers on stem cells on Twitter to follow in 2022 Read More »
Stem cell research relies on some unusual reagents at times including a cell culture product called Matrigel. One of the challenges with such reagents is that if they suddenly are back-ordered it could bring some research to a halt. Matrigel has been in short supply for the last year or so. These products also tend …
What is Matrigel, why a shortage, & alternatives? Read More »
I’ve ended up learning a lot about multiple sclerosis (MS) while writing The Niche for the past twelve plus years, but I’ve never seen anything like the new research linking EBV and MS. EBV stands for Epstein Barr Virus. The reason I’ve learned much more about MS while writing here is that there has been …
Stronger link between EBV and MS brings concrete clinical hope Read More »
When I first learned about the multi-$10 million cord cell clinic deal between Duke and Cryo-Cell I couldn’t believe what I was reading. Duke’s involved in this? The problem: marketing unproven cells for kids Yes, this wasn’t some stem cell clinic operating out of a strip mall seeking to make big money off of injecting …
Vice tackles dicey Cryo-Cell Duke mega-million peds clinic plan Read More »
It’s great when an idea like stem cells for osteoporosis just makes so much common sense, but it still requires data. A logical hypothesis is not enough. The point of today’s post is to fact-check the idea of using stem cells for such bone loss. A femur to stand on? Unfortunately, the take-home message is …
Boning up on stem cells for osteoporosis: good idea, little data so far Read More »
One of my favorite types of papers are those on stem cells and chromatin, and a new one in Current Biology caught my eye this week. My own lab website has the URL chromatin.com so that says something. You can also read more about our research here. Recommended reads: chromatin and stem cells, more Asymmetric …
Weekly recommended reads including asymmetric division & chromatin Read More »