Month: September 2019

Weekend reads: stem cells, CRISPR, glioma, stroke, RTT & more

Venkatesh-et-al.-Nature-2019-Fig-2e

Every so often I realize I’ve accumulated a bunch of tabs on my browsers of things I need to dive into as time permits, which sometimes translates into a collection of recommended reads here on The Niche. Here are some recommended recent reads in the stem cell/regenerative medicine field and childhood cancer space. It includes …

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ViaCyte Q&A: CRISPR Tx quick progress, ongoing diabetes trial, & more

ViaCyte-CyT49-PSC

ViaCyte is one of the most exciting stem cell and regenerative medicine biotech companies so I like to try to check in with them regularly. Today’s post is my new interview with ViaCyte leader Paul Laikind on recent developments. We had a great chat about the science and how things are looking upbeat for the …

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FDA Regenerative Medicine Advanced Therapy RMAT designations jump to 36

Peter-Marks-Regenerative-Medicine-Advanced-Therapy-Designation-RMAT-

This post includes my updated list of firms/products that have received FDA regenerative medicine advanced therapy designation or RMAT, which are in the public domain. The numbers really jumped in the last month. I’m assuming for the purposes of this resource page that all self-reports are accurate. Note that the links embedded into the firm …

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Probing F1 legend Michael Schumacher stem cell juice story

Michael-Schumacher-stem-cells

What’s the deal with Michael Schumacher and his Hail Mary stem cell procedure. Usually when we hear about celebrities getting unproven stem cells, it’s the celebrity themselves or their PR machine hyping it in exchange for something like free treatments or even money from those offering the stem cells for sale, but in the past …

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Report from Medical Board of California meeting on stem cell clinics

Dr.-Charity-Dean-California-Med-Board-stem-cell-clinics

This afternoon I attended and gave public comment at the Medical Board of California stem cell task force meeting on unproven stem cell clinics. There were about 40 people attending. In part this meeting is a consequence of the national governing organization of state medical boards, the Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB) having worked …

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Journal erred on Panama clinic stem cell for autism paper

The-Stem-Cell-Institute-stem-cells-for-autism, Panama Stem Cell

Amongst all that is bouncing around within the stem cell clinic maelstrom out there, one thing stands out for me as the most troubling. I’m talking about for-profit experimentation on children, such as injection of kids with unproven stem cells for autism or cerebral palsy by unproven clinics. In my opinion it’s almost always going …

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Richard Garr Q&A on his new Right-To-Try firm Beacon of Hope

NSRichard08-headshot

A new right-to-try company called Beacon of Hope is stirring some intense discussion. State and federal right-to-try laws could potentially change the fabric of how many investigational studies are conducted. That may happen through firms like Beacon of Hope. However, we don’t know much about the firm. I’m hoping to help change that. Today’s post …

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StemGenex clinic bankruptcy reveals surprises including huge revenue

Stemgenex

How much money and how many patients do stem cell clinics like San Diego’s StemGenex make each year? A new court document has some insights from an unexpected angle. I’ve been following StemGenex for years here on The Niche. It’s been a rollercoaster ride. Things hit a new low today, perhaps marking the operational end …

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FDA warns another perinatal stem cell supplier Stemell

Stemell-logo

As part of its stepped up approach to unproven stem cell marketing, the FDA issued another warning letter to a perinatal (birth-related) stem cell supplier. It’s interesting to see the FDA doing more specifically about suppliers and not just focusing on clinics. It seems that in some subsectors of the stem cell arena that certain …

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Kristin Comella resigns from embattled clinic firm US Stem Cell

Kristin-Comella

US Stem Cell, Inc. reports in a new SEC filing that its key leader Kristin Comella has resigned as of September 1. I never thought I’d see the day when Kristin Comella and US Stem Cell, Inc. parted ways. To me Comella seemed like the driving force behind the company, which is now subject to …

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