Search Results for: predictions

Transdifferentiation or direct reprogramming of fibroblasts to oligodendrocyte progenitors

Back-to-back papers (here and here) in Nature Biotechnology report the transdifferentiation (now often simply referred to as “direct reprogramming”) of plain old fibroblasts into brain cells called oligodendrocyte progenitor cells (OPCs). OPCs are a remarkably useful kind of brain cell that generates myelin, which insulates nerves. OPCs are thought to have great therapeutic potential for […]

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Strangest stem cell event of 2012: Moriguchi’s fake iPS cell transplants

I’m doing a poll on the strangest stem cell-related event of the year in 2012. The results are in and people seem to think all the candidate strange events were indeed odd, but the strangest of all was deemed the Japanese scientist Moriguchi faking that he had done iPS cell transplants on humans, a story

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Why a Romney victory would equal a big defeat for MS patients

What would a Romney victory mean for MS patients? Not good news I believe. As we’ve sort of, kinda gotten to know the Romney’s as potential President and First Lady, we’ve all learned some interesting things about them. I, for one, do not feel as though I know them very well still. Like many Americans,

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The perfect storm that may kill stem cell research this fall: moving closer

In December 2011 I wrote a piece about a possible “perfect storm” of events that could crush stem cell research. Was I being too pessimistic? Now that we are into July 2012 making this fall very much closer on the horizon, how’s the forecast now? That perfect storm if anything seems more likely now. I

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What does Geron’s departure mean for ACT? Some perspectives

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About two months about Geron shocked and disappointed the stem cell community by dropping its stem cell program. The move was reportedly made for financial, not scientific reasons. Biotech companies have to be financially sound in order to help stem cell researchers turn science into cures and Geron’s leadership had to do what it thought

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The perfect storm in Fall 2012 that may kill ES cells research

A year from now will I still be conducted federally funded research on human ES cells? What about the hundreds of other professors in the U.S. and their thousands of employees? It is not unreasonable at this point to forecast a perfect storm in Fall 2012 that may kill elements of stem cell research that

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Ian Wilmut, Dolly’s dad, says dump hESC? What does this mean?

Ian-Wilmut

Sometimes a top scientist makes news with a quote on research and that happened with Ian Wilmut recently on stem cells. Move away from research on human ES cells (hESC) in favor of very new and still largely unclear trans-differentiation technology? I say, no way. But, Bradley Fikes of the North County Times has reported

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Is RNA-based iPS cell production a flash in the pan/tissue culture dish?

What is RNA-based iPS cell research? It was only six months ago that the stem cell field was aflutter over the report by the Rossi group that they could reprogram iPS cells with an astonishingly high efficiency using just RNAs. This completely non-genetic, high-efficiency approach seemed like a revolution for the iPS cell field. It

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Appeals Court Stays Injunction, ES cell research remains legal

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The BLT is reporting that the DC Circuit Appeals Court has sided with the government and has stayed Judge Lamberth’s injunction against ES cell research. Great news! And I’m happy to admit our grim predictions yesterday were wrong. The judges took the action in a  “per curiam” judgement, meaning collectively. So we will not know

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