Today may be a turning point for STAP cells. Nature itself opened up in a newsy piece about the events that have occurred in the past couple weeks since they published two related papers on acid/other stimulus-induced powerful pluripotent or totipotent stem cells (aka STAP stem cells). Update: Science also published a news piece on […]
STAP cells update 2.0: method isn’t working so far, investigations & more Read More »
What does the future hold for CIRM? I asked former CIRM Board Chair and Prop 71 leader, Robert Klein, about that and more in the interview below. He also says some particularly exciting clinical trial and other developments in the stem cell field are coming soon. What got you excited for the very first time
Interview with Robert Klein on CIRM’s Future Read More »
The STAP papers on making iPS like cells using acid treatment of differentiated cells really has people talking. See embryo at right made from GFP reporter STAP cells that glow green. As I said in my review of the papers yesterday, there are still some critical things we do not know about STAP cells and I
More thoughts from STAP acid reprogramming stem cell paper Read More »
Tonight, President Obama will give his “State of the Union” annual address on how our country is doing. I’m guessing he will say the state of the union is positive, but with challenges. What is the state of the union for stem cells in America today? Overall I think it’s extremely encouraging and the field
Stem Cell State of the Union Read More »
A robot has joined our household. Wait, what? By way of disclosure, we didn’t exactly choose to have the robot join our household nor did the robot choose on its own like some kind of terminator barging into the place. Rather, my mom gave it to us as a gift. No it’s not quite like
What does Elvis think of our new robot? Read More »
The below is an excerpt from my book, Stem Cells: An Insider’s Guide. I hope you enjoy this excerpt and the book, which I think is a really good deal at under $27 paperback or under $17 for E-book version. Having our innovation and ethics too In the stem cell field you can have it
Book Excerpt: Stem Cell For-Profit Good Citizen Biotechs Read More »
There was a Twitter buzz yesterday about a Science news story on Korean cloning fraud Woo Suk Hwang’s efforts for redemption in the scientific community. What was the big deal? It turns out to be a peculiar situation. The Science Hwang piece by Dennis Normile, entitled “After Fraud, Korean Cloner Seeks Redemption”, was eerily similar in
Did Clone-Like Nature & Science Pieces Boost Hwang Redemption PR Effort? Read More »
In the interview below I talk with Dr. Masayo Takahashi, who is leading a team conducting the first ever in-human clinical study based on iPS cells. The work began with patient enrollment on Aug. 1, 2013 in Japan. Masaya Takahashi background 1. Can you tell us a bit about your background? As an M.D./Ph.D. and
Masayo Takahashi Interview on iPS cells, clinical studies, & more Read More »
One of the most concerning new trends in the stem cell arena is the explosive growth of chains of for-profit stem cell clinics in the US including Stem MD. This kind of franchising of stem cell for-profit operations deeply concerns me in terms of its potential risks to increasing numbers of patients and to the
Claims of Stem Cell Cures by Clinic Chain, Stem MD Read More »
Reading these one doesn’t know whether to laugh or cry they are so stupid. “Top researcher: iPS cells ‘probably’ already embryos”. This article was so wrong about so many things that it gives dumb a bad name. “‘Adventurous’ woman sought to carry Neanderthal baby”. Who needs the National Enquirer? “Dana White media scrum: Meniere’s disease cured by
Dumbest stem cell headlines & stories of 2013 Read More »