The Niche
Weekly reads: federal stem cell charges disappear, SCBEM ethics, diet & MYCN cancer, how to make a nose
Landmark federal indictment for pop peptides alleged ‘scheme’ even as RFK Jr. may soon un-ban some
Weekly reads: 1st FDA-approved CIRM supported therapy, asymmetric histone inheritance, stem cell retraction
My favorite weird & not-so-weird but cool science pictures from 16 years of The Niche: Part 1
Weekly reads: Gattaca stack, animal sacks, custom iPS cells, ImmunityBio FDA warning, mouse cloning limit
Weekly reads: the thymus and aging, Aspen upbeat 1 year data, paired organoids
FDA investigating: US patient dies after use of placental extract Laennec, Russian med student also died
Weekly reads: Prasad exit & replacement, FDA on Leucovorin, Mexico’s stem cell clinic industry
RFK Jr. tells Joe Rogan he’s used peptides & will un-ban them soon: why it’s a terrible idea
More on Church & Epstein, how simple “no” could have been, making amends?
Weekly reads: support brain tumor work, Prasad is out (again), genetic conditions, Texas AG, immunotherapy paper, SCBEM
Early encouraging UC Davis trial data on cell therapy for spina bifida
Longeveron’s Laromestrocel for Frailty: Breaking Down Cell Stem Cell Data & Problematic Nature Coverage
$24M verdict against Seattle Stem Cell Center clinic in man’s death
Weekly reads: longevity hype vs. cool research, losing your Y, FDA maelstrom
Japan panel OK’s 2 iPS cell therapies despite little data
From skin biopsy to iPS cell proposals: emails involving George Church’s Personal Genome Project and Jeffrey Epstein
Weekly reads: The Atlantic stem cell advertorial, Ozempic & cartilage restoration surprise, dwarfism tx
FDA OKs risky, pioneering OSK rejuvenation trial with Sinclair’s ER-100
Weekly reads: surprise Casgevy challenge, India bars stem cells for autism, Dorothy Bishop PubPeer analysis
Wyoming stem cell bill is latest risky, anti-FDA state legislation
Weekly reads: human SCBEM framework, reporter self-injects peptides, ASD, NAMs
In support of the Roman Reed Spinal Cord Injury Research Act
Weekly reads: NIH fetal tissue research ban, hESCs likely next, retraction spike, FDA CGT flexibility
Stem cells for stroke hype awardee 10 years ago now tells a cautionary tale
Weekly reads: FDA politics, Lineage Cell update, tuft cells & cancer, neuron mitochondrial transfer, dead celeb genomics
Weekly reads: organoids ‘pregnant’ with human embryos, Neuralink, biotech scorecard, iffy autism tests
2026 predictions: historic FDA shift, plausible mechanisms, bespoke tx, RFK Jr., biotechs, state AGs, peptides, embryos
Weekly reads: the stem cell niche, tongue stem cells, autoimmune diseases
Grading my 25 stem cell & regenerative medicine predictions for 2025
Colossal Biosciences wins 2025 The Screamers Award for science hype on dire wolf de-extinction claim
Top 5 stem cell good news stories of 2025
Weekly reads: Unlimited Bio gene therapy enhancement ‘trial’, Pluribus, brain growth, MYC
Iowa AG wins $1M from stem cell clinic
Felony charges against 3 in Utah related to stem cells, undercover agents visited clinic
Weekly reads: stem cells for vision loss hope, gene therapy trial death, NFL doc on clinics
GOP lawmakers ask RFK Jr. to make FDA unleash risky peptides like BPC-157
Celularity & 2 other perinatal biologics firms get FDA warnings
Weekly reads: NIH grant advice, mitochondrial boost, thymus regeneration, Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde at the FDA
Gamida Cell’s Omisirge for SAA gets OK on limited data; more low-data FDA approvals likely to come
Weekly reads: Sam Altman Retro Bio anti-aging, skin organoids, more FDA turmoil
Could Capricor’s report of strong data on deramiocel for Duchenne spark FDA approval?
Weekly reads: cartilage regeneration, ferroptosis, Aspen Neuroscience raises $115M, more on rare diseases
Nucleus Genomics faces criticism as it and other firms promise embryo optimization despite unresolved scientific, ethical questions
Weekly reads: FDA approves peptide therapy for Barth, other rare disease news, induced totipotency
Khloé & Kim Kardashian stem cell adventures in Mexico, MUSE cells raise concerns
Weekly reads: MAHA summit, Ittleman on FL stem cell law, NYT on brain organoids, Dr. BS
More red flags on peptides even as softening of FDA oversight could happen soon under RFK Jr.
Weekly reads: new MSCs for heart disease pub already under fire, Google’s new h-index, Tidmarsh out, alleged cord blood banking scam
Recommended reads: Valentina Greco, CRISPR trials halted on safety, JAX acquisition, Prasad vs. CBER
Stem cell therapy cost goes up & what to consider looking ahead
Weekly reads: FDA warnings on immunotherapy toothpaste & exosomes, upbeat SCID work, animal model alternatives
FDA should act on stem cell supplements as some are actually drugs
Weekly reads: odd $405 Stanford longevity AI thing, bemdaneprocel for Parkinson’s, & ‘not just some hippie pursuit’
FDA secures major win as SCOTUS lets stem cell clinic ruling stand
Weekly reads: lab-grown human eggs, Huntington’s hope, CRISPR-y animals, John Gurdon death, Peter Marks to Lily
Polling on stem cell therapy cost: what did you pay & how many did you get?
Weekly reads: bird ESCs, new FDA CGT guidances, patient sues insurer over stem cell tx, FDA warning
ReCELLebrate, IV exosome booth today, & leader Dr. Jeffrey Gross
What is in vivo reprogramming, its potential pros & cons?
Weekly reads: WSJ vs. Prasad, MUSE cells, Lyme disease, longevity signal vs. noise
Dental stem cell banking makes ‘outrageous’ claims in UK, practice is widespread in US
Weekly reads: NuVida gets FDA warning, Dutch clinic doc ban, upbeat stem cell news
Weekend reads: bipartisan science, new Cathy Tie video, waking hair follicles, update on Prasad at FDA
NIH fetal tissue research ban unfolding; hESC work next?
Woman dies after unproven regenerative medicine at clinic in Japan
2 FDA warnings to perinatal firms including Platinum Biologics paradoxically provide hope
Weekend reads: immunosuppression & brain cell therapies, big pharma sucking up to Trump, NK cells