Search Results for: Genetics

Weekly reads: Vertex & CRISPR Therapeutics, Arnold Caplan death, MS genetics

CRISPR Therapeutics

The biotechs Vertex and CRISPR Therapeutics have an interesting relationship as biotechs. They are partners are multiple levels but also are very different as companies including in size. There’s been a key development in one of their partnerships. Before we jump into that, please check out the video version of my 20 stem cell and […]

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Weekly reads: clonal expansion, Golden Retriever cancer, FTC hits genetics firm on testi-phony-als

clonal selection

Let’s start this week’s digest with a discussion of clonal expansion and mutations during cell and gene therapy development. Here’s the article that brought this to mind. Sickle cell gene therapy process may cause cancer-linked mutations in blood stem cells, Fierce Biotech. Clonal expansion This is a story about a non-CRISPR gene therapy using a

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Conversation with Harmit Malik on Gene Drive & Genetics

Harmit-Malik

Gene drive is a powerful, emerging genetic technology that can force genetic modification into an entire population. For more background on gene drive you can read my previous post. It’s a very exciting, but potentially dangerous technology with sizable possible risks. Recently I had an intriguing conversation with leading geneticist Harmit Malik on gene drive. What

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New iPS cell conventional wisdom from polls: epigenetics & mutations remain concerns, immunogenicity not so much

I recently did a series of 4 polls on potential roadblock issues in the iPS cell field. The impetus for these polls was my sense that there were substantial differences in views on whether iPS cells were now proven to be equivalent to ES cells in 4 key ways. Turns out the polls got a

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A layman’s guide to stem cell epigenetics

I know you care about stem cells and research, but do you know much about epigenetics? You should. If you do not understand epigenetics then you do not understand stem cells. Don’t be put off by the complicated sounding name “epigenetics”. It’s really simple conceptually and below is your easy-to-understand guide. Epigenetics controls nearly every

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What were woolly dogs and should they be de-extincted over mammoths?

woolly dog

I first learned about woolly dogs when researching woolly mammoth de-extinction. It turns out that there are or were many woolly creatures besides sheep. If you have to de-extinct something, I say let’s try to bring back the woolly dog and forget the mammoths. More on that in a minute. What are woolly dogs? Woolly

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Weekly reads: Scott Gottlieb v. RFK Jr., DNA typewriters, Arnold Caplan

Peter-Marks-Scott-Gottlieb-FDA

Remember former Trump’s FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb? Gottlieb’s back in the news in an interesting way related to the upcoming second Trump administration. I just wrote about what to expect from new FDA Commissioner nominee Marty Makary. In that piece, I noted that Scott Gottlieb first came to lead the FDA after a record of

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Weekly reads: Rusty Gage & stem cell awards, ASCL1, stem cells for a vulture

Rusty Gage

There should be more stem cell awards. Why not recognize more scientists and advocates? I used to do a Stem Cell Person of the Year Award. I have thought about bringing it back. What do you think? Scroll through some past posts on the Stem Cell Person of the Year Award. ISSCR gives out stem

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