You searched for duke autism center

More Duke Autism Center backstory: stem cell ‘magic’ & money

October 29, 2020 August 26, 2022 / By Professor Paul Knoepfler, Ph.D. / Leave a Comment

Last week I wrote a long post detailing the troubling multimillion-dollar reverberations between the Duke Autism Center and a for-profit stem cell clinic. The clinic in Panama is The Stem Cell Institute. The potential entanglements raise a bunch of questions and concerns. They center on questionable, unproven autism “treatments”. In Duke’s case, their own clinical …

More Duke Autism Center backstory: stem cell ‘magic’ & money Read More »

Duke Autism Center has Panama clinic to thank for $10s millions?

October 13, 2020 December 12, 2022 / By Professor Paul Knoepfler, Ph.D. / 10 Comments

Drs.-Neil-Riordan-and-Joanne-Kurtzberg-MSCs-for-autism

What do a Panama stem cell clinic and the Duke Autism Center have in common? More than I might have imagined. It’s a remarkable story that needs telling. Duke Autism Center There is a puzzle when it comes to the controversial idea of using cord blood for autism. Why? Because two of the strongest proponents …

Duke Autism Center has Panama clinic to thank for $10s millions? Read More »

Duke Autism Center trial: no benefit of cord blood for autism

May 20, 2020 August 26, 2022 / By Professor Paul Knoepfler, Ph.D. / 12 Comments

A solid new, blinded placebo-controlled Phase II study from the Duke Autism Center clearly shows no benefit of cord blood for autism. Surprisingly, the team has said they are encouraged by the results. As a result, they apparently will continue this kind of work anyway despite their data. In contrast, I see the data as a …

Duke Autism Center trial: no benefit of cord blood for autism Read More »

Why did Duke autism team halt its troubling pay-for-play program?

April 17, 2023 April 18, 2023 / By Professor Paul Knoepfler, Ph.D. / 2 Comments

Almost two years ago I publicly called on the FDA to freeze the unproven cord cell expanded access program (EAP) at the Duke Autism Center. Duke has been infusing kids with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) with unproven cord cells and requiring large payments for this. The cost was as much as $15,000. A halt and a …

Why did Duke autism team halt its troubling pay-for-play program? Read More »

Review of cord banker Viacord: dubious autism claims & other concerns

September 6, 2022 September 5, 2022 / By Professor Paul Knoepfler, Ph.D. / 2 Comments

Viacord is one of the most well known firms in the for-profit cord blood banking industry. Today’s post is a review of the firm. I see concrete reasons for concern. What is Viacord? | Dubious autism claims | Viacord cost | Overall Review | References What is Viacord? As a cord blood banking firm, Viacord freezes …

Review of cord banker Viacord: dubious autism claims & other concerns Read More »

Vice tackles dicey Cryo-Cell Duke mega-million peds clinic plan

October 12, 2021 March 14, 2023 / By Professor Paul Knoepfler, Ph.D. / 11 Comments

When I first learned about the multi-$10 million cord cell clinic deal between Duke and Cryo-Cell I couldn’t believe what I was reading. Duke’s involved in this? The problem: marketing unproven cells for kids Yes, this wasn’t some stem cell clinic operating out of a strip mall seeking to make big money off of injecting …

Vice tackles dicey Cryo-Cell Duke mega-million peds clinic plan Read More »

FDA should freeze Duke EAP & probe $58 million Cryo-Cell deal linked to it

August 19, 2021 August 19, 2021 / By Professor Paul Knoepfler, Ph.D. / 5 Comments

I recently found concerning SEC filings from the biotech Cryo-Cell about a deal it has with a Duke team for infusions of children with unproven umbilical cord cells. This turns out to be a $58 million deal. It relates in a major way to a Duke compassionate use or expanded access program (EAP) that already had raised …

FDA should freeze Duke EAP & probe $58 million Cryo-Cell deal linked to it Read More »

Fact-checking stem cell therapy for autism: still a risky idea

July 27, 2021 April 24, 2023 / By Professor Paul Knoepfler, Ph.D. / 8 Comments

The other day I gave a talk in part about stem cell hype and mentioned as an example how the idea of already doing stem cell therapy for autism seems so misguided to me now. On the whole, in my view there are major downsides and risks for autistic kids whose parents are already having …

Fact-checking stem cell therapy for autism: still a risky idea Read More »

Duke & Cryo-Cell plan big clinic for unproven infusions of kids

June 9, 2021 August 26, 2022 / By Professor Paul Knoepfler, Ph.D. / 6 Comments

Professor Joanne Kurtzberg’s clinical work at the Duke Autism Center on umbilical cord blood for autism and cerebral palsy (CP) involves a partnership with a publicly-traded cord blood banking firm called Cryo-Cell. Kurtzberg is also the Medical Director at the firm. In addition they have intellectual property in this area. The Duke team’s efforts, including …

Duke & Cryo-Cell plan big clinic for unproven infusions of kids Read More »

Search Results for: duke autism center