Are there any guidelines for genomics studies of famous dead people like sequencing their genomes? It doesn’t seem like it. I remember when I first heard of the idea of trying to clone John Lennon from an old molar. Fortunately, as far as I know no one ever tried that, but it wouldn’t surprise me if […]
Pros & cons of dead celebrity genomics Read More »
Today’s post takes a close look at the exosome manufacturer Kimera Labs in the context of the main exosome companies. What are exosomes? Exosomes are microscopic bubbles or vesicles produced by cells. Exosomes contain many cellular substances that are biologically active. Some of these materials may be helpful clinically, while others could pose risks. Clinical outcomes
Review of where Kimera Labs fits into sphere of exosome companies Read More »
I usually associate NPR with solid journalism so I was scratching my head about a recent puff piece by WHYY on stem cell microneedling. Is this journalism or product promotion? The NPR piece by Maiken Scott doesn’t ask important questions. Scott received stem cell microneedling herself using a product from a company called AnteAGE. How
WHYY oh WHYY: NPR puff piece on risky stem cell microneedling Read More »
About twenty years ago a science story made big news of a so-called anti-aging Methuselah gene. Methuselah gene and anti-aging The claim was that this DNA conferred long life on people. Hence the name Methuselah, which refers to a man from the Bible who reportedly lived 969 years. The so-called Methuselah gene was at first not a
Perspectives on David Sinclair anti-aging Cell pub & in vivo reprogramming Read More »
Near-billionaire Bryan Johnson apparently does not like getting old and he’s trying to do something transformative about it. He and his team are experimenting in a big way. As a 55-year-old myself, I can’t blame him for wanting to fight aging in general. However, his anti-aging project includes some extreme stuff. Will some in the
Skepticism on the Bryan Johnson anti-aging extravaganza Read More »
What could go wrong with celebrities desperately hunting for stem cells as a fountain of youth? A flaskful of problems. Some famous folks can’t seem to get enough of stem cells, even if those supposed therapies are unproven and risky. In recent years, dozens of celebs have gotten stem cell procedures of various kinds. The
Desperately seeking stem cells: celeb quests for elixirs often mislead Read More »
Let’s start with some stem cell good news on evolving approaches to treat sickle cell disease involving stem cells. Then on another related front things were more concerning. Stem cell good news on sickle cell disease, a complication Sickle Cell Disease News reports Adding Briquilimab Boosts Success of Sickle Cell Stem Cell Transplant. This is a
Weekly reads: stem cell good news, bad news on sickle cell, MS, IPSCs Read More »
Toward the end of each year, I make stem cell & regenerative medicine predictions for the coming year. It’s a fun tradition here on The Niche that goes way back. The stem cell field has changed dramatically as reflected in each year’s predictions. Here’s a list of past predictions with my grades of how they
2023 stem cell & regenerative medicine predictions Read More »
Many celebs seem to be into cosmetics called Augustinus Bader cream products that claim to do something related to stem cells. The brand is wildly expensive. What’s this all about? Augustinus Bader is both a person and a line of cosmetic products. The goal of today’s post is to fact-check the claims and products of the Augustinus
Wrinkles in pitch of celeb fav Augustinus Bader cream Read More »
It’s that time of year again when I grade my previous year’s predictions for the stem cell & regenerative medicine space. Overall, I did better than a typical year. I give the 2022 predictions an A- overall. This exercise can be kind of fun but also humbling. For example, I tend to be too optimistic
Grading my 2022 regenerative medicine predictions Read More »