Many of this blog’s readers ask about my own lab’s research: what is the focus of the work in the Knoepfler Lab? You can go check out our lab website, but I thought it might be time again to blog about what we are all about as a lab and what we have been up …
In my continuing series of conversations with thought leaders related to heritable human modification, today’s post is an interview with Natasha Vita-More, a pioneer in the transhumanism movement and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Humanity+ (H+), the global transhumanist organization. Where do you see transhumanism today? Has it changed over the years? What …
Global transhumanism leader Natasha Vita-More on human germline modification Read More »
The stem cell biotech Advanced Cell Technology (ACT) reported new, positive data in a paper in Lancet from their clinical trials using retinal pigmented epithelial cells (RPEs) made from human embryonic stem cells (hESC) for treatment of different forms of macular degeneration (MD). The paper was entitled “Human embryonic stem cell-derived retinal pigment epithelium in patients with age-related …
Advanced Cell Technology pub: Trial for Macular Degeneration Read More »
This post is a tribute to the late Dr. Yoshiki Sasai (笹井芳樹). If you would like your name added to this tribute please let me know. You are also welcome to add your own tributes in the comments. In an era when the emerging field of regenerative medicine is just beginning to take wing, we …
Stem Cell Community Tribute to Yoshiki Sasai (笹井芳樹) Read More »
Duane Roth, the Vice-Chair of the California Stem Cell Agency CIRM and the leader of CONNECT, an organization promoting entrepreneurship in the San Diego area, died yesterday. Roth had been in a serious solo cycling accident on July 21. Roth had a long, successful career in biotech including having founded Alliance Pharmaceutical Corp. He was …
UPDATE: Unfortunately the Betatrophin paper discussed here originally back in 2013 has now largely been proven to have come to incorrect conclusions (for more read this). Today Harvard Stem Cell Institute (HSCI) reported the discovery, in a paper in Cell by Harvard Professor Doug Melton, of a powerful new hormone called Betatrophin that can stimulate …
A relatively newly recognized, important player in the stem cell field is a molecule called histone H3.3. Histones are key components of chromatin with integral roles in regulating almost all aspects of cell behavior through orchestrating functions such as transcription and chromosome segregation. Histone H3.3 knockout My lab has just (April 9) published new studies …
Histone H3.3: giving cells epigenetic flexibility Read More »
As some of you know, I had prostate cancer in 2009 and by the looks of the pathology report, it seemed like a bad one. Part of my own unique experience of being a cancer patient is that I also happen to be a cancer biologist. You might think this would be helpful, but really …
What cancer has taught me 584 days into my battle Read More »
Advanced Cell Technology (ACT) announced that the FDA has approved their second human ES cell-based clinical trial, a combined Phase I/II, for the treatment of blindness. As a result, soon ACT will have two active, human ES cell-based clinical trials, both using the same human ES cell-based drug. The aim of the 2nd trial is …
FDA approves ACT’s second stem cell trial for blindness Read More »