The Korean-based stem cell biotech, RNL Bio, which also does business in the U.S. as RNL Bio and Human Biostar Inc, reportedly (seems to be a press release, PR) has filed an investigational new drug (IND) application with the Korean FDA (KFDA). The purpose of the application is to test the efficacy of autologous adult stem cells […]
Just how safe are stem cell transplants? Is an autologous stem cell transplant always safe? Is it really true, as one stem cell transplant doc once said of autologous stem cell treatments, that “the worst thing that could happen is the treatment won’t work”? Are adult stem cell treatments by definition safe? The reality is
Some 2012 papers that raise serious safety concerns about adult stem cell treatments Read More »
One of the most important elements of science is critical reading of papers. Most of us come into science as undergrads feeling somewhat naive about what we read in papers. Our default tendency is to believe most or all that we read as “true”. As we get more experienced, we realize that in fact if
Critically reading science papers: response to patient on MS stem cell literature Read More »
The recent NPR broadcast on stem cell therapies lit up my email inbox. Everyone wanted to know if I had heard it. I was working on about 10 things at once that day, but I ended up listening to it while walking my dog, Elvis, later that night. A few things struck me about the
Thoughts about the NPR piece on stem cells Read More »
A big issue in the stem cell field is that firms increasingly are doing business in multiple countries. Associated with the increasingly international nature of the stem cell for-profit industry are emerging legal and ethical issues related to the transport of stem cell-based biological drugs across international borders. Think you can just FedEx human stem
Writing this blog I hear a lot of stuff about stem cells all across the globe. Some of this is noise, but some is signal (i.e. real). What seems to be a very real and worrisome trend is that unlicensed for-profit treatments in the Philippines have exploded in the last two years. I would characterize
From Russia with love or…stem cells? Read More »
I requested of Celltex a copy of the email/letter that they recently sent to their patients. They kindly provided me a copy, which you can read here (snap shot of beginning is above). Thank you, Celltex! I also asked Celltex some questions regarding their plan to start having patients treated in Mexico. Unfortunately, they have
Celltex on the move: full copy of letter to patients, new slogan, and new video Read More »
The induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cell field has been red hot over the approximately first half dozen years of its existence from 2006-2011. However, as I blogged about here part way through 2012, it was showing signs of cooling off a bit in terms of the shear output of publications. It turns out that now
IPS cell field milestone: 2012 is first year with fewer publications than previous Read More »
I’m on a roll with my stem cell predictions for 2013 (see all 10 here). First, I got it right with my #1 prediction that the Supreme Court would take a pass on the Sherley v Sebelius Case. Now, I read from excellent science writer David Cyranoski at Nature that Celltex is going to be
Stem cell predictions coming true: Celltex moves to offer transplants in Mexico Read More »
The LA Times has an opinion piece out today by Michael Hiltzik criticizing CIRM. It’s deja vu all over again. The LA Times has shown itself to be very biased against CIRM over the years. Hiltzik specifically has been very hostile to the stem cell agency. I see their coverage of CIRM as unbalanced, never focusing
Real message from the LA Times: no change at CIRM will ever be good enough for us Read More »