Search Results for: funding

Stem cell research ethics topics: organoid consciousness & embryo models

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brain organoids sm

Someday could human brain organoids get to the point of having organized human-like thoughts? Even consciousness? The more time passes, the less likely I think this is. It’s not impossible, but brain organoids have big limitations in that regard. To be clear, I don’t mean brain organoids having some vaguely human brain-like electrical activity. Even monolayers of […]

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2nd chances after big misconduct? He Jiankui, James Wilson, others

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James Wilson, Gene therapy

There have been rare instances like with scientist James Wilson where researchers were involved in what I would call major misconduct but somehow managed to bounce back. In a sense, they were given second chances in part by regulators but also by other scientists or supporters. However, after extraordinary misconduct, especially contributing to the death

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Review of ExoFlo paper used to push Direct Biologics IND inside FDA finds red flags

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ExoFlo from Direct Biologics

I wrote recently about how political pressure on FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn in 2020 may have helped the Texas firm Direct Biologics move their product ExoFlo forward inside the agency. Today I analyze the ExoFlo Phase I clinical trial paper used in that push on Hahn to get the firm the IND for a Phase II

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Weekly reads: KRAS G12C, eLife journal controversy, bird iPSCs

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KRAS mutations, KRAS G12C

If you’ve never heard of the KRAS G12C mutation, it’s a particularly frightening mutation present in numerous cancers. Like the MYC oncogene, many people view mutations in RAS as undruggable, but new efforts show some glimmers of hope. The drug Sotorasib has been approved by the FDA to target the KRAS G12C mutation. Here’s a

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Weekly reads: upbeat stem cell clinical trials update, CRISPR ups & downs, story of 1st marrow transplant survivor

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stem cell clinical trials

It’s always great to read about stem cell clinical trials that are looking encouraging. Stem cell clinical trials Proving a new therapy is safe and effective is so challenging. Remarkably, there are more than 9,300 stem cell clinical trials listed for a “stem cell” search on Clinicaltrials.gov. Of course, not all of these are actual

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Weekly reads: NIH grants, side effect of darker hair, FDA warning, CRISPR

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Grant writers handbook, grants cartoon

The last six months I’ve been spending even more time than usual writing NIH grants (and a few others). The last two weeks have been especially busy on this front as I am getting an R01 renewal out the door. My paper reading lately has been mostly related to the grant writing I’m doing. Still,

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Weekly reads: teratoma in iPSC trial, Piero Anversa & friends, Athersys, China Initiative

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Dr-Piero-Anversa

It’s been mostly a downbeat week on the stem cell news front including a deep revisit by Reuters to the Piero Anversa case that has new revelations. It’s ugly stuff involving other folks too. We’ll start on the iPS cell front, where a trial participant had a teratoma. I’ve had a long-standing interest in the

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Weekly reads: $1B Saudi anti-aging push, OCT4 necklace, cancer trial wows, coffee brain

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Stem-Cells-Aging, anti-aging

I recently wrote about stem cell-related ideas for anti-aging and even cheating death, but there are of course other approaches including drugs like metformin. A new article outlines a massive research funding plan to tackle aging. Let’s start with that. Recommend reads including anti-aging Saudi Arabia plans to spend $1 billion a year discovering treatments to

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