Are there any guidelines for genomics studies of famous dead people like sequencing their genomes? It doesn’t seem like it. I remember when I first heard of the idea of trying to clone John Lennon from an old molar. Fortunately, as far as I know no one ever tried that, but it wouldn’t surprise me if […]
Pros & cons of dead celebrity genomics Read More »
The Asahi Shimbun just published a fun, intriguing interview with Shinya Yamanaka, the Nobel Laureate who first produce iPS cells. In the interview, Yamanaka says that the celebrity aspect of his new post-Nobel life has driven him to wear disguises when out running in public because he gets recognized so often. Yamanaka is also asked
Great new Yamanaka interview on iPS cell safety, being a celebrity, & future plans Read More »
Do many in the regenerative medicine field have favorite types of stem cells? Some seem to think there’s a tension between those working on pluripotent stem cells like iPS cells and those working with MSCs. I don’t see it that way, though. Whatever stem cells work best for a particular condition should be used and,
Weekly reads: diabetes, GvHD, Novo Nordisk & regenerative medicine, HDACs Read More »
It’s frustrating to see so much bad media coverage of celebrity trips to clinics to get supposed stem cell treatment of various kinds. Part of the concern here stems from ordinary people taking risks by following the example of the famous people. Good journalism should ask tough questions, talk to experts, and not yield an
Textbook case of bad media on ‘stem cell treatment’ clinic: Kirk Cousins Caribbean trip Read More »
We all know people who seem far younger than their age, which feeds into the idea of biological age. It’s often in the news these days and all over social media. Some people who are fighting high-profile battles with aging are also doing something I call “health flexing.” I also called these folks by another
Biological age, health flexing, & stabs at rejuvenation Read More »
I wrote earlier this week about genome sequencing of famous dead celebrities, pointing out that the trend seems full of ethical complexities. Genome news More broadly, sequencing the genomes of non-celebrities from hundreds or thousands of years ago can be important research. A new NYT piece covers such work on the Swahili people. Such research
Weekly reads: genome sequencing, chemical reprogramming 2.0 Read More »
I often learn about new supposedly stem cell-related products like the LifeWave X39 Patch from readers. Sometimes such products are used by tens of thousands of people, in my view potentially raising risks to the public. If nothing else, people might be spending their money on something that isn’t worth it. As a stem cell biologist,
LifeWave X39 stem cell patch story has holes Read More »
What could go wrong with celebrities desperately hunting for stem cells as a fountain of youth? A flaskful of problems. Some famous folks can’t seem to get enough of stem cells, even if those supposed therapies are unproven and risky. In recent years, dozens of celebs have gotten stem cell procedures of various kinds. The
Desperately seeking stem cells: celeb quests for elixirs often mislead Read More »
The FDA seems oddly slow in oversight of unproven stem cell clinic-related firms like one here in California called Invitrx Therapeutics. I’ve written before about Invitrx, but interactions between them and the FDA have continued including a new warning letter. It’s become a puzzling situation. More broadly, the FDA has done relatively little in the past
3rd Invitrx warning highlights FDA oversight weakness Read More »
Many celebs seem to be into cosmetics called Augustinus Bader cream products that claim to do something related to stem cells. The brand is wildly expensive. What’s this all about? Augustinus Bader is both a person and a line of cosmetic products. The goal of today’s post is to fact-check the claims and products of the Augustinus
Wrinkles in pitch of celeb fav Augustinus Bader cream Read More »