I’m doing this series called “The Elephant in the Lab” where I discuss controversial or taboo laboratory topics that people are usually too afraid to publicly discuss. I started with iPS cells (for a description and definition of iPS cells go here) and now have updated this post for 2013 because the field is changing rapidly. iPS […]
Taboo topics about iPS cells: updated for 2013 Read More »
Behind the scenes I get a lot of emails from employers in the stem cell/cell therapy/regenerative medicine fields looking for good prospective employees I might know. At the same time, I get a lot of emails from job seekers asking me to let them know if there are any openings I might know about. I’ve
Stem cell jobs page: free postings for job openings & seekers Read More »
Businessweek just published a very long, interesting article on Celltex by Susan Berfield yesterday. I was happy to talk with Susan at length about the key issues and be quoted in the article. See image at left of two key Celltex leaders, David Eller, CEO of Celltex, and Stan Jones above (Photograph by Thomas Prior
Nuggets and pyrite in Businessweek article on Celltex Read More »
2012 Brazilian Congress on Stem Cells & Cell Therapy, Sao Paulo, Oct 3-6 NYSCF Seventh Annual Translational Stem Cell Research Conference, New York City Oct. 10 – 11 Epigenetics and Stem Cells 2012, Cambridge, UK Oct. 16 – 17, 2012 Texas Cures/ Texans for Stem Cell Research Education Mtg, Austin, Oct. 19 ISSCR-Roddenberry Symposium, Gladstone (San Fran), Oct. 24-25 Houston
2012 stem cell meetings and conferences Read More »
Stem cell blogs make a big contribution to the stem cell world. Which is the best? It’s a tough choice. This year my pick is stemcellassays.com by Alexey Bersenev as 2012 Stem Cell Blog of the Year. You can also follow Alexey on Twitter here. Congrats to Alexey. Alexey’s blog consistently is outstanding in that it
Stem cell blog of the year 2012: stemcellassays.com by Alexey Bersenev Read More »
Here on The Niche I’m giving out a Stem Cell Person of the Year Award for 2012 along with all my other annual awards (e.g. best stem cell journal, paper, blog, comic, activist, etc). 2020 update: you can see future winners of the award here. The Person of the Year winner will get recognition for
Stem Cell Person of the Year Finalists: time to vote Read More »
Advanced Cell Technology (ACT) is well into clinical trials for macular degeneration (the leading cause of blindness) using human embryonic stem cell (hESC)-based retinal pigmented epithelial cells (RPE). To date, the trials suggest the products are safe. Efficacy? We don’t know. I am cautiously hopeful, but it is frustrating to know that most clinical trials
What’s the big deal about unproven stem cell treatments, patients often ask me. Why should patients avoid these? Because paradoxically such treatments, intended to cure disease, can have devastating negative consequences for your health. I’m doing an eight-part series, “Eight simple reasons not to get a stem cell treatment”. The first two blog posts were
I’m here at the World Stem Cell Summit in Florida. I just was in the audience for a great panel discussion on The Role of States in Regulating Stem Cell Therapies. It was contentious but raised almost all of the key questions in this area. There was particularly interesting and vigorous debate between two participants,
Supposedly there is a type of normal adult stem cell that intrinsically possesses many of the same properties as embryonic stem cells (ESCs). No reprogramming needed. No blastocysts needed. These reportedly amazing cells, called Very Small Embryonic-Like Stem Cells (VSELs), can in theory be isolated from umbilical cord blood (UCB) or even bone marrow. Yet