Search Results for: bioethics

How should we define a stem cell doctor?

stem cell infusion, stem cell doctor

Over the past half dozen or so years I’ve seen far more physicians describing themselves as a “stem cell doctor” or a “stem cell specialist.” Is there such a thing? Are they just saying that to attract and reassure potential customers getting unproven stem cell shots? What does Google think is a stem cell doctor? …

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Monkey human embryo chimera Cell paper: exciting, ethically complex direction

human embryo chimera

A new Cell paper from an international team led by Juan Carlos Izpisua Belmonte pushes human embryo chimera embryo research further than ever before. It is both exciting work and raises many complex bioethics questions at the same time. What is a human embryo chimera? By way of background, chimeric human embryos contain a mixture …

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New lab-grown blastoids are strikingly similar to human embryos

blastoids nature paper figure 2

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 …

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Recommended reads: MSCs, vision, endothelial cells, more

wang et al 2020 science advances

What a year 2020 was, but there was still plenty of great science, which continues now in 2021 including published research like today’s recommended pieces and there’s one thread on MSCs today. The Niche new look, more features, and a Medical Advisory Board for 2021 Before we get to the recommended reads, note that 2021 …

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Medical Advisory Board for The Niche

Niche-news-image, medical advisory board

The Niche has formed a Medical Advisory Board. Why? Because of the array of translational and medical potential related to stem cells and regenerative medicine. Also, because since so many readers of The Niche are patients curious about potential stem cell treatments. Such a medical board that also has bioethics expertise is more important than …

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Q&A with Roxland on stem cell clinic suits by Iowa & Nebraska

beth-roxland

I wrote last week about the Nebraska and Iowa state Attorney Generals filing lawsuits against stem cell clinic firms and three individuals also named as defendants. Although I went into detail about the individuals including leader Travis Autor and the firms, I didn’t yet go into much depth on the state lawsuits themselves in that …

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Authors on The Niche

Paul-Knoepfler

The Niche has had many authors over the years, focusing on expertise in the biomedical arena and in particular related to stem cells. I’ve invited many authorities in particular areas to write posts. Over the years I’ve written probably 99+% of the posts here on The Niche, but we’ve also had some great guest authors …

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Texas Gov Abbott pandemic hypocrisy on abortion vs. stem cell clinics

Greg-Abbott-Texas-stem-cells-COVID-abortion

Texas Governor Greg Abbott has effectively banned abortions in his state during the COVID-19 pandemic, but his reasoning makes no sense and is inconsistent with his policies more generally on health-care clinics. The Tribune notes that while “Abbott’s original ban was intended to preserve medical resources”, his own statements contradict that, including “On Friday, he …

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Levrier guest post on CRISPR Consensus Meeting – “we all must get involved in this debate”

Guillaume-Levrier

By Guillaume Levrier Human germline editing has been done before. It will be done again in the future, as it is relatively easy to perform. No mechanism with the de facto ability to prevent it from being organized has yet been designed, let alone implemented. But the fact that germline editing has, can, and will …

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New stem cell pubs including artificial human embryo work

Fig-4d-Nat-Cell-Bio-2019-Simunovic-et-al

In this post I list some recent interesting stem cell and science pubs including artificial human embryo research. Engineered human embryo research continues. Scientists for years have been advancing the types of embryo-like structures made from both human and other creature’s cells. In a new Nature Cell Bio pub entitled, “A 3D model of a …

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