Search Results for: embryonic stem cells

Weekend reads: WaPo blows it on COVID, paper-mill detector, adult pluripotent stem cells

"Hofstenia miamia, three-banded panther worms. Credit: Mansi Srivastava and Kathleen Mazza-Curll"

Imagine writing or editing an article for the WaPo about risky, unproven medical interventions for COVID that desperate patients might consider. Then you link directly to the websites selling this stuff in your article. What the heck? WaPo links to risky long COVID “treatments” By linking, you not only are driving customers to these firms, …

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Stem cells & the philosopher’s stone, P53, thyroid organoids

philosopher's stone

I hadn’t remembered the history of the philosopher’s stone until reading a new review article about stem cells and aging. Here’s the article. Is the philosopher’s stone to rejuvenate blood stem cells an epigenetic regulator? Nature Aging. This preview kind of piece discusses how inhibiting a specific factor called PHF6 can “rejuvenate” HSCs in mice. …

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Clinical utility & examples of unipotent vs. multipotent stem cells

mesenchymal cells

What are examples of unipotent and multipotent stem cells? More broadly, stem cells have the ability to do two key things. They can make more of themselves through a process called self-renewal. Also, they have the ability to differentiate into other cell types. This latter property is called potency. Taken together this means by definition …

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Germ or sex cells: DNA content, research, clinical applications

sex cells, haploid, diploid, germ cells

Germ or sex cells have many important implications for health and research. In today’s post the goal is to provide a helpful, comprehensive overview of these remarkable cells. Where does research on these cells stand today? It’s an exciting time. What are sex cells?  | Are sex cells haploid or diploid?  | Why are germ cells …

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Digging into the multiple ways to get stem cells

multiple ways to get stem cells

I get great questions from readers of The Niche including, “Are there multiple ways to get stem cells?” The answer is “yes.” Why is this important? The different sources of stem cells can impact both their use in basic research and their potential clinically. My goal in today’s post is to give an overview of …

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Weekly reads: stem cells for MS, blood origins, iPSCs

Types-of-Multiple-Sclerosis

How promising is the idea of stem cells for MS? I have been working slowly as time permits on a piece more specifically about hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) for MS. Two new pieces caught my eye on this topic so I’ll start with those. Stem cells for MS NurOwn Found Safe, Shows Promise in …

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ViaCyte purchase puts Vertex in driver’s seat on stem cells for diabetes

Doug Melton, Vertex, ViaCyte

When I’m asked about the most promising areas of stem cell clinical research, cell therapy for type I diabetes is near the top including work by a biotech called ViaCyte. Other firms are in the mix too, boosting the overall odds of success in the coming decade. It’s really that promising even though there are …

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Weekly reads: freeze-dried cloning, FDA signals, stem cell escapees

Human-cloning

Cloning is one of those topics that both fascinates and kind of scares people, especially the idea of duplicating people. I regularly cover the topic here on The Niche because stem cell technologies are involved. Also, one form of the process sometimes called “therapeutic cloning” involves embryonic stem cells. Duplicating mammals has now long been …

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Is embryonic stem cell research a target after Roe?

Knoepfler lab stem cells

When I first started this blog back in 2010 the most contentious issue on the more political side of our field was federal funding for embryonic stem cell research. It was something you couldn’t take for granted. Some history on embryonic stem cell funding in the US There were times back then when funding of …

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Fact-checking VSEL stem cells & VSEL treatment

VSELs, vsel ratajczak paper issues

A few people in the stem cell field keep arguing that adult pluripotent stem cells exist, including so-called “very small embryonic-like stem cells” or VSEL stem cells. These days the supposed cells are called VSELs or V-cells too. Only a handful of researchers have ever been able to report finding and studying these cells. Others …

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