Paul Knoepfler

More on Church & Epstein, how simple "no" could have been, making amends? - The Niche Biologist discusses the week's regenerative news including more on Church & Epstein, TX AG sues cord blood firm, losing your Y, mutations.

More on Church & Epstein, how simple "no" could have been, making amends? ipscell.com/2026/03/more... Woody Allen b-day party invite is striking

Making Sense of the Peptide Craze YouTube video by Parmin Sedigh

Check out the new video on the peptide craze that the wonderful Parmin Sedigh and I created youtu.be/v_HJjuuolsQ?... #stemcells #peptides #RFKjr #BPC157

Leucovorin lacks evidence to use as autism treatment, FDA says The FDA approves leucovorin for a rare brain disorder while retreating from top officials’ earlier insistence that it could benefit many children with autism.

News: Federal health officials are retreating from earlier endorsement of leucovorin as a drug that can treat autism.

www.statnews.com/2026/03/10/f...

More on Church & Epstein, how simple "no" could have been, making amends? - The Niche Biologist discusses the week's regenerative news including more on Church & Epstein, TX AG sues cord blood firm, losing your Y, mutations.

More on Church & Epstein, how simple "no" could have been, making amends? ipscell.com/2026/03/more... Woody Allen b-day party invite is striking

How Congress can restore the independence of US science Members must go beyond reinstating US government research spending and re-establish decentralized governance at the National Institutes of Health and other agencies.

The most impt change at #NIH and to US science this year is bigger than grant cancellations— it’s how the agency is governed.

For 75 years NIH has been largely independent of presidential control. That’s changed this year. New piece from me and @nataliebaviles.bsky.social in @nature.com
🧪

Early encouraging UC Davis trial data on cell therapy for spina bifida - The Niche Stem cell biologist discusses a new Lancet paper describing early results on a cell therapy for spina bifida.

ICYMI from Friday --> Upbeat news as early UC Davis trial data on cell therapy for spina bifida looks very encouraging so far ipscell.com/2026/03/earl... #stemcells #stemcell

5 lessons from Vinay Prasad's turbulent tenure at the FDA Vinay Prasad's unique ability to attract criticism — even when his bosses, including the president, wanted him to keep his head low — did him in at the FDA.

The best take I've seen on Prasad's 2nd exit from FDA comes from @matthewherper.bsky.social www.statnews.com/2026/03/08/v...

Weekly reads: support brain tumor work, Prasad is out (again), genetic conditions, Texas AG, immunotherapy paper, SCBEM - The Niche Biologist discusses the field's weekly reads on genetic conditions, Texas AG, immunotherapy paper, SCBEM, and asks for support of cancer work.

Weekly #regenerative reads: support brain tumor work, Prasad is out (again), genetic conditions, Texas AG, immunotherapy paper, SCBEM ipscell.com/2026/03/week... #stemcells

Thanks.

Weekly reads: support brain tumor work, Prasad is out (again), genetic conditions, Texas AG, immunotherapy paper, SCBEM - The Niche Biologist discusses the field's weekly reads on genetic conditions, Texas AG, immunotherapy paper, SCBEM, and asks for support of cancer work.

Paul Knoepfler is crowdsourcing funding for work on childhood gliomas @stemcells.bsky.social.

Trumpian science and health policy, ladies and gentlemen. Infuriating.

ipscell.com/2026/03/week...

Weekly reads: support brain tumor work, Prasad is out (again), genetic conditions, Texas AG, immunotherapy paper, SCBEM - The Niche Biologist discusses the field's weekly reads on genetic conditions, Texas AG, immunotherapy paper, SCBEM, and asks for support of cancer work.

Weekly #regenerative reads: support brain tumor work, Prasad is out (again), genetic conditions, Texas AG, immunotherapy paper, SCBEM ipscell.com/2026/03/week... #stemcells

$24M verdict against Seattle Stem Cell Center clinic in man's death - The Niche Biologist discusses $24M verdict in case of man with ALS who died after going to Seattle Stem Cell Center and background.

ICYMI: Potential record verdict against stem cell clinic: $24M verdict against Seattle Stem Cell Center clinic in man’s death ipscell.com/2026/03/24m-... #stemcells #FDA

They are tough as nails. Have you seen them fight over things like flowers or feeders?

Vinay Prasad, key Makary ally and a focus of controversy at the FDA, is leaving the agency Prasad has been involved in several controversial decisions related to rare disease treatments.

Prasad's out at the FDA...AGAIN....after series of controversial decisions www.statnews.com/2026/03/06/f... Can't say I'm shocked.

It feels to me like a hoped-for profitable product in search of a medical application. I don't see the mechanism for frailty, Alzheimer's, etc.

Early encouraging UC Davis trial data on cell therapy for spina bifida - The Niche Stem cell biologist discusses a new Lancet paper describing early results on a cell therapy for spina bifida.

Good news for a Friday. Early encouraging @UCDavisHealth trial data on cell therapy for spina bifida ipscell.com/2026/03/earl... #stemcells #regenerative #medicine

If you're at the airport and Kristi Noem is doing the ominous little message from the TSA screens, you no longer have to do anything she says. Leave your laptop in the case, whatever.

Peptides are a fad and grift. I wouldn't be surprised if in 3-5 years we learned a bunch of people got kidney or liver damage from them/the contaminants in them or increased risk of cancer.

Longeveron's Laromestrocel for Frailty: Breaking Down Cell Stem Cell Data & Problematic Nature Coverage - The Niche Biologist provides perspectives on new MSC frailty study published in Cell Stem Cell from Longeveron and provides background.

Longeveron's Laromestrocel for Frailty: journal club on @cp-cellstemcell.bsky.social pub Data & Problematic Nature news Coverage ipscell.com/2026/03/long... #stemcells #stemcell @caulfieldtim.bsky.social

The peptide craze sweeping America has a fan in RFK Jr This could lead to less FDA oversight just when more is needed

I wrote a thorough overview of where things stand on these peptides, FDA, RFK Jr., etc. a few weeks ago: sciencebasedmedicine.org/the-peptide-...

The number of people asking about & apparently using these peptides indicates a massive problem. Kennedy unleashing them is such a terrible idea. It will help compounding pharmacy $$$$ but hurt public health.

Me: “We need to watch the hype. History tells us that these therapies often (very often) don’t pan out as promised.

I worry that this study and the media surrounding it will be exploited by clinics pushing unproven products and therapies.”

Good analysis, @stemcells.bsky.social 🙏

Oh, I never looked.

Longeveron's Laromestrocel for Frailty: Breaking Down Cell Stem Cell Data & Problematic Nature Coverage - The Niche Biologist provides perspectives on new MSC frailty study published in Cell Stem Cell from Longeveron and provides background.

Longeveron's Laromestrocel for Frailty: journal club on @cp-cellstemcell.bsky.social pub Data & Problematic Nature news Coverage ipscell.com/2026/03/long... #stemcells #stemcell @caulfieldtim.bsky.social

This is the dude that tried involving me in the Methuselah Foundation many years ago..., like 2006/2007 and gave me the creeps. Guess who was backing that foundation? Go ahead... guess...

The dude who is one of the least empathetic people on planet Earth, Peter Theil.

Thanks, Hank. Very good points in this thread.

$24M verdict against Seattle Stem Cell Center clinic in man's death - The Niche Biologist discusses $24M verdict in case of man with ALS who died after going to Seattle Stem Cell Center and background.

Historic verdict. $24M decision against unproven stem cell clinic in Seattle in man’s death ipscell.com/2026/03/24m-... #stemcells #stemcell

6 key dilemmas as human embryo models get ever closer to the real thing 6 core challenges that researchers must consider as the race to create models that are ever closer to real human embryos heats up.

6 key dilemmas as human embryo models get ever closer to the real thing. Research is proceeding without enough attention on ethical issues www.statnews.com/2026/03/03/h... My latest @statnews.com column #stemcells #IVF

$24M verdict against Seattle Stem Cell Center clinic in man's death - The Niche Biologist discusses $24M verdict in case of man with ALS who died after going to Seattle Stem Cell Center and background.

Historic verdict. $24M decision against unproven stem cell clinic in Seattle in man’s death ipscell.com/2026/03/24m-... #stemcells #stemcell

Weekly reads: longevity hype vs. cool research, losing your Y, FDA maelstrom - The Niche Biologist discusses recent regenerative news including longevity hype, TX AG sues cord blood firm, losing your Y, MSCs but no MSCs, FDA chaos

Weekly regenerative reads: longevity hype vs. new cool research including on the brain & Alzheimer's, losing your Y, FDA maelstrom continues including supposed "fatwa" on Prasad per Makary ipscell.com/2026/03/week... #stemcells #stemcell