In this post I give my most interesting predictions about events in the stem cell field in 2011. Update: I’ve continuing doing predictions every year all the way through 2020 and intend to continue. See my 2012-2020 predictions here. Appeals court rules in favor of federally funded hESC research. This is more of a hope […]
Predictions for Stem Cells in 2011 Read More »
One question I am frequently asked by readers and colleagues is “what other stem cell blogs or bloggers can you recommend that are written by a stem cell scientist and updated on a regular basis?” The simple but surprising answer: there are none. It’s lonely out here in cyberspace! (2020 update: The good news today
How many scientist bloggers does it take to change a light bulb? Read More »
Here an anonymous stem cell scientist frankly answers questions about the field in an interview with me. Of course I have to ask you about the recent U.S. court ruling essentially declaring all federal funding of human ES cell work illegal. What’s your take on this? ANSWER: The ruling has so many flaws in it.
Anonymous stem cell scientist frankly answers questions about the field Read More »
The Parent’s Guide to Cord Blood Foundation recently announced that Cryo-Cell and its long-time partner, a Duke pediatric cell therapy team, have made a key change. They will begin offering infusions of unrelated, unproven cord blood to pediatric patients with cerebral palsy (CP). These are called donor infusions. Up until now, they had mainly focused
Joe Rogan just keeps glowing about clinics offering unproven stem cells like most recently the Cellular Performance Institute in Tijuana. Often Joe talks about his own experiences getting stem cells, but other times he refers anecdotally to others who supposedly had great experiences. While it’s not unusual for some celebrities to get stem cells at
Joe Rogan shows more love for unproven stem cells despite risks Read More »
Cord blood banker Cryo-Cell and Duke have had a long-running agreement. The potentially multi-million dollar deal has focused on the development of possible umbilical cord blood therapies for pediatric patients. A major first goal has been to open an infusion clinic, which I have been very skeptical about for various reasons. For instance, one big
Cryo-Cell alleges Duke acted “fraudulently” related to pediatric cord cell deal Read More »
Who decides what to name something new in science like “human embryo models”? Also, not to get too philosophical right off the bat, but what is the point of a name? It’s about a shared understanding of what we’re talking about. But, very often, both out in the world and in the various fields of
Beyond naming: embryo models and the importance of public dialogue Read More »
Do stem cells for Long COVID make sense including for associated brain issues? Two readers of The Niche asked me this question recently. Let’s discuss it. Stem cells for Long COVID worth trying? What is Long COVID? A sizable fraction of people who get COVID-19 never fully recover. They may have symptoms like fatigue, brain
Readers’ question: do stem cells for Long COVID make sense including for brain fog? Read More »
What do you think of when I mention Stanford professor Mike Snyder and self-help guru Tony Robbins together? I would not necessarily have imagined them forming a connection but science is full of surprises. I’ve admired Snyder’s work in genetics for a long time. I’m most familiar these days with Robbins for his interest in
The FDA just warned a Florida stem cell clinic firm called Mother Stem Institute run by Dr. Alvaro Skupin. Background: Mother Stem Institute past issues I’ve written about this clinic and Dr. Skupin in the last few years. Just about a year ago I blogged the news that a patient suit against the clinic was
FDA warns Mother Stem Institute & Alvaro Skupin Read More »