In a landmark decision, today the FDA approved Ryoncil from Mesoblast for GvHD. This is the first time the FDA has approved a mescenchymal stromal/stem cell or MSC therapy of any kind. There have been many ups and downs for Mesoblast toward this approval of Ryoncil or remestemcel-L, an allogeneic marrow MSC product. See my […]
In landmark, FDA approves first MSC therapy, Mesoblast’s Ryoncil for GvHD 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 »
Graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) is counterintuitive In the weeks and months following a transplant, a major concern is the recipient’s immune system rejecting the “foreign” biological material. But in GVHD, the opposite happens: transplanted tissue unleashes a horde of T cells that spark a cascade of inflammation, within 100 days. Typically, GVHD follows a bone marrow
Mesoblast MSCs Quell Peds GvHD; On Road to FDA Approval? Read More »
People ask me questions about stem cells all the time so I decide to do a new blog series answering your questions. Today’s post is the first in this new stem cell Q&A series. Past series have included my Elephant in the Lab series that provides some insights into the craziness that sometimes goes on
Patients stem cell Q&A#1: can clinic injections cause GVHD? Read More »
Cynata Therapeutics Limited has received approval from UK regulators to start a first-of-its-kind allogeneic IPSC-based trial of MSCs for graft versus host disease (GVHD). Cynata also had some big news a couple weeks back with a deal with Fujifilm. The company is aiming to recruit 16 patients to test whether the MSCs (a type of adult
Cynata approval for 1st ever allo trial of IPSC-derived MSCs for GVHD Read More »
Chinese CRISPR research continues to grow and this includes interesting CRISPR biotech firms. Some here in the U.S. worry that American gene editing firms could be lagging behind. Especially over the past year, investors and even some scientists have voiced frustration. U.S. gene editing firms like Editas have been struggling for years. Its stock is
Weekly reads: Chinese CRISPR biotechs, cultured meat war, MSCs for Alzheimer’s Read More »
What are possible side effects of stem cell therapy ? Patients often reach out to ask about such risks They usually refer to unproven stem cell clinics. Today’s post addresses the scope of stem cell therapy side effects and risks based on available hard data. It’s also important to discuss possible unknown risks. Stem cell
Stem cell therapy side effects & risks at clinics Read More »
What are the current FDA-approved cell and gene therapies? How many of those involve true stem cells? Many of us have wished for a more specific list of FDA-approved stem cell therapies. Patients and fellow scientists often asked me about such lists. They even wish for annotated lists. For that reason, I’ve made and kept
Updated 2025 List of FDA-Approved Cell and Gene Therapies Read More »
If you tell a scientist that they should be growing a spine, they might take you literally. For instance, if you say this because you want a scientist to show some courage and speak out about something difficult, instead they might try to make an actual human spine in a lab. We’ll start there this
Weekly reads: grow a spine, China clears MSCs, Denise Richards, stem cell soups Read More »
Did you predict the major events in the stem cell and regenerative medicine field this year? I tried and today’s post are the grades on my predictions. Prediction is a key part of being a scientist even if we may not think about it that much. For instance, we have to try to predict what
Grading my 20 stem cell & regenerative medicine predictions for 2024 Read More »