We’ve known that most organs have resident stem cell populations for decades, but things have been less clear in the lung and it has only been relatively recently that lung stem cells have been definitively characterized. Why is so important? Lung stem cells, whether endogenous or made in the lab, have the potential to help […]
Recommended reads: lung stem cells, Utah stem cell law, Ozzy gets cells Read More »
Many firms that generally fall into the category of unproven stem cell or cell therapy clinics have a way of reinventing themselves and I’ve seen this with one formerly named the Lung Institute that is now called Centers for Respiratory Health. First the Lung Institute became the Lung Health Institute. Now that firm has become
Centers for Respiratory Health is new incarnation of clinic Lung Health Institute Read More »
Mere weeks into the COVID pandemic, stunning graphics began to appear depicting the path of devastation of SARS-CoV-2 through a human lung. It’s only recently that we’ve come to understand what, exactly, is happening on a cellular level. The new view is thanks to single-cell RNA-sequencing, which analyzes the abundance of messenger RNAs in individual
COVID Traps Alveoli Cells in a Curious Progenitor State, Squelching Lung Regeneration Read More »
What should we make of clinics like the Lung Health Institute? These clinics sell unproven stem cell or regenerative therapies for lung disease. Overall, I’m extremely skeptical. I don’t believe it’s worth the cost. There are also going to be potentially serious health risks. Lung disease is a broad category including COPD, emphysema, pulmonary fibrosis,
Fact check: Lung Health Institute & cell therapies for lung disease Read More »
Organoids are providing a novel avenue into the pathogenesis of COVID-19 and novel models for drug screening. A number of new preprints on respiratory organoids shed new light in this area. They were highlighted in a Nature newsy piece, Mini organs reveal how the coronavirus ravages the body. It’s a challenge to study COVID-19 infections because just infecting
Weekly reads: organoids, COVID-19, CIRM & cool new pubs Read More »
Washington Post reporters William Wan and Laurie McGinley have a new piece on the unproven regenerative clinic firm the Lung Health Institute. This article has a number of surprises and new insights. Previously the Lung Health Institute was called just the Lung Institute. It was recently acquired by the publicly-traded company H-CYTE, stock symbol HCYT. In the
‘I’d need a drink’: WaPo deep dive on clinic firm Lung Health Institute Read More »
What’s the deal with lung stem cells and stem cells for lungs? For a long time researchers found that stem cells were elusive in adult lungs. There was debate about whether they even existed, but it now seems fairly established that there are some of the little guys in there. Just because one of the
On stem cells for lungs the-profit clinic offerings don’t make much sense Read More »