Happy Stem Cell Day! It is a tumultuous time for the stem cell and regenerative medicine fields, but despite this there are concrete reasons for optimism on this Stem Cell Awareness Day. I’ve listed my top 10 below. What else gives you a sense of optimism? You can also check out CIRM’s nifty stem cell […]
Reasons for optimism on Stem Cell Day 2016 Read More »
A brief report in the NEJM today highlights the risks facing patients who get stem cell treatment from dubious clinics as one such patient recently developed a large spinal tumor. Dr. Aaron L. Berkowitz and colleagues describe how this patient who received a mixture of several stem cell types from an overseas clinic was later diagnosed
Patient gets cancer growing on spine from dubious stem cells Read More »
Here are some headlines & articles worth a look and some thought on stem cell and biomedical science more generally. Gallup finds in a new poll that 60% of Americans surveyed find human embryonic stem celsl research “largely acceptable”. On the other hand human reproductive cloning is highly frowned upon, sandwiched in the “highly unacceptable
Weekend reads: ES cell research polls well, Gordie Howe, MS, IPS cells, and more Read More »
The REGROW Act has attracted both support and criticism, including on this blog, for the changes it would mandate in the way the FDA regulates stem cell products. More specifically it would greatly reduce regulation of experimental stem cell products. I believe that would be dangerous to patients and to the stem cell field more
Is REGROW Act anti-embryo research? Pluripotent stem cells excluded Read More »
A new paper from Shoukhrat Mitalipov’s lab on stem cell mitochondria points to a pattern whereby induced pluripotent stem (IPS) cells tend to have more problems if they are from older patients. New Mitalipov paper What does this paper mean for the stem cell field and could it impact more specifically the clinical applications of IPS
New Mitalipov paper on stem cell mitochondria: challenge for IPS cell field? Read More »
Four or five years ago the top stem cell story was the battle over federal funding of human embryonic stem (ES) cell research in the U.S. by James Sherley and Theresa Deisher. They were the two opponents of ES cell research making the most national headlines. Nature did a whole piece back then on Deisher
Where are ES cell foes James Sherley & Theresa Deisher now? Read More »
The Capitol Times in Wisconsin ran a story just before the primary there on Bernie Sanders on Stem Cells, indicating that has held anti-stem cell research positions. It can sometimes be hard to figure out politicians’ positions on stem cells and what actions they might take. Update: See this poll on what people predicted the
Bernie Sanders Mixed Record on Stem Cells Read More »
Haruko Obokata was reportedly questioned by police in Japan today. The questioning relates to the STAP cell scandal that led to the retraction of two Nature papers. As first author of the papers, Obokata and other authors had reported that they could make IPSC-like cells simply via acid or other stress treatment. However, it is
Obokata questioned by police over STAP cell fiasco Read More »
Editor’s note: this is a guest post on the US stem cell environment. By Heather Main I moved to the San Diego from Australia in August 2015, and Paul asked me if I could write something on my first impressions of doing science in the US, as opposed to other countries I have worked/studied in
First impressions of the US stem cell environment from an Aussie Read More »
Shinya Yamanaka is one of my favorite fellow scientists. His research is creative and rigorous along with having huge clinical implications. At the same time, Dr. Yamanaka sees the big picture and he’s very open about talking about real life as a scientist. I really appreciate both levels. In the past I interviewed him for
Takeaways from new Yamanaka (山中伸弥) stem cell interview Read More »