Search Results for: covid

Giostar stem cell clinic chain review, red flags, & lawsuit

Giostar

Some unproven stem cell clinics like one called Giostar have multiple locations sprouting up. To me the concern with that spreading is the potential of multiplying risks to consumers. It can be hard to get a clear take on what these clinics are doing too. What’s in this article What is Giostar? | Giostar review | …

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Weekly reads: NIH grants, side effect of darker hair, FDA warning, CRISPR

Grant writers handbook, grants cartoon

The last six months I’ve been spending even more time than usual writing NIH grants (and a few others). The last two weeks have been especially busy on this front as I am getting an R01 renewal out the door. My paper reading lately has been mostly related to the grant writing I’m doing. Still, …

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Weekly reads: teratoma in iPSC trial, Piero Anversa & friends, Athersys, China Initiative

Dr-Piero-Anversa

It’s been mostly a downbeat week on the stem cell news front including a deep revisit by Reuters to the Piero Anversa case that has new revelations. It’s ugly stuff involving other folks too. We’ll start on the iPS cell front, where a trial participant had a teratoma. I’ve had a long-standing interest in the …

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WA AG wins half million from Seattle stem cell clinic US Stemology

US Stemology, Seattle Stem Cell Center

I grew up in the Seattle area so it wasn’t great to see stem cell clinics operating there recently, but better news was the WA State AG filing suit against a clinic there. The action included the clinic parent firm US Stemology along with its leader Dr. Tami Meraglia.  The suit was filed only months ago …

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MO Rep Patricia Derges already indicted for alleged stem cell scheme, now sued by patient

patricia derges indictment for fake stem cells sm

The news just keeps getting worse for Missouri state lawmaker Patricia Derges, who was indicted last year by the feds for an alleged stem cell scheme. She is now also being sued by a former patient. Derges, who is not a physician but rather an assistant physician, was providing supposed stem cell or related biological …

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Thoughts on death of stem cell clinic leader Dr. Mark Berman

Elliot-Lander-and-Mark-berman-300x2331

Over the past dozen years as I’ve written about stem cell clinics here on The Niche I’ve gotten to know many of those running the clinics including Dr. Mark Berman of Beverly Hills. It was therefore kind of a shock to learn that Berman died of last month. Michael Hiltzik of the LA Times reported …

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Review of Peter Diamandis Fountain Life clinics: more than stem cell hype?

Fountain Life Peter Diamandis featured

Many of you readers know tech guru Peter Diamandis for his great X PRIZE, but he’s also involved in the regenerative medicine world including a new effort called Fountain Life. Teaming up with life coach Tony Robbins and others for Fountain Life raises some red flags for me. What’s in this article Peter Diamandis and …

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Hub of Regenerative Medicine & Stem Cell Meetings 2022

stem cell meetings 2022

Science must go on and so must stem cell meetings in 2022 with all those great conferences out there, but hopefully this year will be better than 2020-2021. It seems that way with the pandemic easing in the U.S. and many other places. On the other hand, COVID is spiking in Asia and other regions. …

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Weekly reads: Yale scientist suspended, WA AG sues clinic, new pubs

Dr. Tami Meraglia has been sued by the Washington State AG for selling unproven stem cells.

It’s very challenging to be an academic scientist even under normal circumstances so when a government starts going after researchers for things like supposed irregularities in funding disclosures, it can cause serious problems if not carefully overseen. We’ll start this week’s recommended reads with the feds monitoring such disclosures and even making referrals to the …

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FDA news: warning letter pattern, cancer moonshot, CAR-T & gene-editing guidance

FDA-draft-guidance

The FDA has been busy with the COVID pandemic but it has many other things on its plate as well including cell therapies. Today I’m sharing some recent agency news and brief perspectives on it. FDA focus on clinic-related umbilical cord cell drug makers The agency warned an Idaho company that produces and sells umbilical …

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