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Every so often here on The Niche I list science and news articles worth a look as “weekend reads”. Below is my list for this weekend. Enjoy! The first article doesn’t really fit into the other main categories, but the title “herding brains” caught my eye.

Stem Cells

Stem cells and regenerative capacity in aging brain, article in Cell. Quiescence Modulates Stem Cell Maintenance and Regenerative Capacity in the Aging Brain. Does this kind of research have relevance to humans? See interesting, complex graphical abstract from the paper, Kalamakis, et. al.

William Wan and Laurie McGinley at WaPo do a deep dive into controversial umbilical cord “stem cell” supplier Liveyon including quotes from the company’s founder, John Kosolcharoen. Many patients are reporting serious adverse events. I’m hoping to have an interview with Kosolcharoen here on The Niche soon.

“Scientists at the University of Bath have identified how a mutant gene in fish is involved in controlling stem cells.” When I first saw a newsy note on this and it said something like “scientists in Bath…identify mutant gene in fish” I kind of imagined the scientists and the fish in a bath together.

When two brain organoids meet. hESC-Derived Thalamic Organoids Form Reciprocal Projections When Fused with Cortical Organoids

CRISPR

One type of the base editor system is very error prone so in many cases likely won’t be a viable alternative to CRISPR gene editing without some kind of major improvement (Science). Here’s the research article, also in Science.

Is CRISPR patent battle finally over?

Did the Chinese government fund He Jiankui’s “rogue” CRISPR of babies and then later try to make him a scapegoat?

Cancer

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