I love stem cell research but experiments that have practical possible future applications in medicine like for vision loss are especially interesting to me. On the other hand basic research on core transcription factor mechanisms like by MyoD also really grab me. We cover some of this stuff and other ground in today’s recommended reads. …
Something called NIH continuous submission for frequent grant reviewers is now a thing of the past. This is kind of a big deal. It’s got to be a challenge for the NIH to get enough qualified reviewers to serve on study sections as grant reviewers. The recruitment of reviewers just probably got even harder with …
NIH continuous submission for frequent ad hoc reviewers is quietly dropped Read More »
For more than a year in my first job as a scientist I isolated cells from umbilical cord veins and then tossed the tissue away, never realizing there was more there that could be useful in the form of something called Wharton’s jelly. What’s in this article Umbilical cord histology & Wharton’s jelly | What …
What is Wharton’s jelly & its possible clinical uses? Read More »
Sometimes things in the stem cell world get complicated and this week is no exception with news of Orchard Therapeutics dropping a seemingly life-saving clinical trial. There are hundreds of kids who could possibly benefit. Rotten apple decision from Orchard Therapeutics From David Jensen at California Stem Cell Report we have something of a scoop: …
Weekly reads: Orchard punts on life-saving SCID trial, cardioids with cavities, more Read More »
A new word has been added to the lexicon of human stem cell research – blastoids, aka “blastocyst-like structures.” Unlike the familiar three-layered embryo that emerges during the third week of prenatal development, the earlier blastocyst resembles a fluid-filled soccer ball, with a smear of cells on the interior face destined to develop into the …
New lab-grown blastoids are strikingly similar to human embryos Read More »
The paper of the week reports using base-editing, a kind of gene-editing, to reverse mutations associated with rapid aging syndromes, generally called progeria, but there are a lot of other interesting pubs to recommend for reading this week. I go over it all in this post. Gene-editing to fight premature aging syndromes In vivo base …
Weekly reads & paper of the week: gene-editing vs. aging Read More »
Does time seem somewhat warped to anyone else in 2020 even without having had COVID, which could alter brain function? It just seems like with everything going on that time simultaneously both drags and zooms by this year. One sort of reassuring element is that papers keep on being published so we can enjoy cool …
Weekly reads: lab meat, crow brain biology, direct reprogramming, more Read More »
When you sit down to read science on the weekends lately, assuming you are not primarily a COVID-19 researcher, how much COVID stuff seeps into your reading? As I was going over some of this year’s recommended weekly reads posts here on The Niche, I’ve realized that an increasing amount of COVID-19 research has joined …
Recommended reads: PSC, COVID, FDA pledge, sci jobs Read More »
Another week and more great papers and interesting news in the regenerative medicine sphere including COVID-19 updates, stem cells for vision, and more. Rebuilding Corneas With Stem Cells Stem cell-based regenerative medicine arguably has shown the most promise for vision loss. A PR from Massachusetts Eye and Ear says: Doctors rebuild damaged corneas using patients’ …
Recommended regenerative medicine reads: COVID-19 updates, Cornea Fix, Pubs Read More »
What are you reading these days and does it include topics like cell therapies for COVID-19, ALS, regenerative potential of fibroblasts, and why Zoom meetings are so tiring for the brain? I cover those topics and more below with recommended reads including papers and media items. Here’s last week’s recommended reads. Here’s to fibroblasts, which …
Weekend recommended reads: Athersys, ALS, COVID-19, Fibroblasts, Zoom brain Read More »