How can we scientists find ways to keep doing our research during the COVID19 pandemic even if it has nothing to do with the coronavirus? Also, how should those of us involved in science communication talk about the outbreak? At a more basic level, how can scientists try not to go bonkers during this dark […]
Scientists try not to lose it with their labs shut by the pandemic Read More »
It’s been a busy week for the cellular and regenerative medicine space for COVID-19 news with some possible ups including for Mesoblast and some definite downs. Starting with the more positive media buzz with have Mesoblast. Mesoblast made COVID19 news “Thinly traded Mesoblast Limited (NASDAQ:MESO) rockets 51% premarket on average volume in reaction to its announcement of an
COVID-19 cellular medicine buzz: Mesoblast, FTC hammer, more Read More »
A firm called Kimera labs just received an untitled letter from the FDA. The firm has been supplying non-FDA-approved exosomes to various customers including at least one stem cell clinic without sparking any obvious action from the agency, but on April 10th that changed with the letter, which in my view is quite serious. What
Kimera Labs FDA letter cites exosomes for COVID-19, more issues Read More »
The California Stem Cell Agency, better known by the acronym CIRM, has done a vast amount of good over the past decade and a half, and today it needs your help for the future. CIRM, which stands for the “California Institute for Regenerative Medicine”, has funded a huge array of stem cell and other research
Please take a couple minutes now to help fund future of CIRM Read More »
Texas Governor Greg Abbott has effectively banned abortions in his state during the COVID-19 pandemic, but his reasoning makes no sense and is inconsistent with his policies more generally on health-care clinics. The Tribune notes that while “Abbott’s original ban was intended to preserve medical resources”, his own statements contradict that, including “On Friday, he
Texas Gov Abbott pandemic hypocrisy on abortion vs. stem cell clinics Read More »
Could various kinds of cell therapy help patients with COVID-19? A variety of cell therapies, mostly focused on mesenchymal stromal/stem cells (MSCs), have gotten cleared quickly in the U.S., China, and Israel and possibly other countries to be tested in patients with the novel coronavirus. I hope at least one proves helpful. It’s mostly a
Cell therapy trials for COVID-19 accelerate & some early reports Read More »
It’s not every day that I call a bunch of stem cell clinics to say “hi”, but yesterday I called some of them during a needed lunch break from grant writing to see what they were doing about their operations during the COVID-19 pandemic. The impetus for this survey of a sort was a question
To get at addressing what’s the real deal on the idea of cellular therapies for COVID-19, I did a short email Q&A interview with Dr. Sean Morrison. Sean is Chair of the Public Policy Committee at ISSCR and Director of Children’s Research Institute at UT Southwestern. He was also President of ISSCR in 2015-2016, and
Interview with Sean Morrison on cellular therapies for COVID-19 Read More »
Rudy Giuliani has been tweeting all kinds of wild things about the novel coronavirus and is apparently very excited about the idea of “stem cells” for COVID-19 patients. What could go wrong, right? Giuliani starts vaguely tweeting about “stem cells” I wrote a few days ago about how Giuliani had been plugging an upcoming podcast
Deconstructing Rudy Giuliani ‘stem cells for COVID-19’ podcast & NK cell transplant idea Read More »
Things are getting worse with the COVID19 pandemic and in parallel there is increasing hype including from clinics that somehow stem cells or similar products could help with the latest (and most worrisome) development being a bombshell tweet from Trump’s lawyer Rudy Giuliani. The former mayor of New York and Trump frontman just tweeted this
Rudy Giuliani now plugging unproven stem cells for COVID19: is Trump next? Read More »