Search Results for: stem cell biotech

Recommended reads: Dux, 3D printed ear brings Vacanti mouse to mind, AMD, more

June 4, 2022 / By / 2 Comments
Vacanti Mouse

Eight years ago two new Nature papers broke on the scene reporting supposed STAP cells with one of the senior authors, Charles Vacanti of Harvard, most well known previously for making the so-called “Vacanti mouse” along with his brother Joseph. The Vacanti mouse had a bioengineered human ear growing on its back. While STAP cells …

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Altos Labs: mission, leadership, jobs, & CIRM

April 12, 2022 / By / 3 Comments
Altos Labs

At the beginning of the year I wrote about a new kind of biotech called Altos Labs. It’s very different in some ways from other institutions. I find it an intriguing research entity. Where do things stand now with Altos Labs a few months later? More information, new ideas,  and questions have popped up in the …

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Centers for Respiratory Health is new incarnation of clinic Lung Health Institute

March 24, 2022 / By / 5 Comments
Centers for Respiratory Health, lung health institute

Many firms that generally fall into the category of unproven stem cell or cell therapy clinics have a way of reinventing themselves and I’ve seen this with one formerly named the Lung Institute that is now called Centers for Respiratory Health. First the Lung Institute became the Lung Health Institute. Now that firm has become …

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FDA news: warning letter pattern, cancer moonshot, CAR-T & gene-editing guidance

March 17, 2022 / By / Leave a Comment
FDA-draft-guidance

The FDA has been busy with the COVID pandemic but it has many other things on its plate as well including cell therapies. Today I’m sharing some recent agency news and brief perspectives on it. FDA focus on clinic-related umbilical cord cell drug makers The agency warned an Idaho company that produces and sells umbilical …

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Weekly reads: aging, CRISPR delivery, hair, oocytes, paralysis

January 22, 2022 / By / Leave a Comment
CRISPR-Model-Jacob-Corn-e1464305007640

The big news of the week was the launch of Altos labs and their ambitious plan to tackle aging through cell therapies. Altos has recruited a large number of top cell biologists away from academia. That team plus top biotech execs and a $3B war chest make Altos one to watch in coming years. I …

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Recommended reads: pig heart transplant, lasers, $11K pub fee

January 15, 2022 / By / 4 Comments
heart transplant

The fact that a person for the first time has received a heart transplant from a pig and it was a genetically modified pig made big news this week. Organ transplant waiting lists are a huge problem so if this kind of approach can be proven to be safe and effective, it would be a …

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Regenerative reads: 3 CRISPR babies, FDA warning, diabetes, pubs

November 28, 2021 / By / 3 Comments
CRISPR-baby

If you celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday I hope you had a nice one and, right before it started a new article popped on the scene about the CRISPR babies. Before we discuss those three gene-edited people, who are now growing up into little kids, we hit a milestone on our YouTube Stem Cell Channel with …

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Weekly reads: New FDA guidance, brains, MSCs, senescence

October 10, 2021 / By / 1 Comment
human mouse marmoset brain

This week marked the release of new draft FDA guidance on cell and gene therapies. Is the FDA kind of like the guidance counselor at school or more like the principal? It probably depends on many factors. I also find it funny how pretty much everyone in academia and biotech industry works to be compliant …

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The Niche weekend reads: Editas mess, The Niche updates, papers

October 3, 2021 / By / Leave a Comment

The news of the week relates to an interim clinical trial report from gene-editing firm Editas on its CRISPR trial for a form of vision loss. On to that in a minute. What have you been reading the past week? Below, I include our weekly list of recommended reads. However, first I wanted to give …

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Weekly reads: Orchard punts on life-saving SCID trial, cardioids with cavities, more

May 23, 2021 / By / 5 Comments
cardioids stem cells

Sometimes things in the stem cell world get complicated and this week is no exception with news of Orchard Therapeutics dropping a seemingly life-saving clinical trial. There are hundreds of kids who could possibly benefit. Rotten apple decision from Orchard Therapeutics From David Jensen at California Stem Cell Report we have something of a scoop: …

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