I have a poll running regarding who would have been the best choice to share the Nobel Prize with Shinya Yamanaka and John Gurdon, and so far the winner is Ian Wilmut, who cloned the first mammal, Dolly the sheep. I should have included another option to indicate the possible preference that NO ONE should …
Wilmut voted most-deserving of 3rd Nobel slot with Yamanka & Gurdon in poll Read More »
Did Celltex just get an FDA warning letter? I’m not sure. We may find out tomorrow as the FDA updates their public warning letter list early in the week. What’s Celltex? Celltex is that famous stem cell company in Sugarland, Texas that gave Guv Rick Perry stem cell transplants. It was inspected by the FDA …
Advanced Cell Technology (ACT; stock symbol ACTC) announced that it has secured $35 million in funding from investment company, Lincoln Park Capital. The press release quotes CEO Gary Rabin: “We are most pleased about this financing agreement, as it has a number of notable benefits for the company,” commented Gary Rabin, chairman and CEO of …
Stem Cell Biotech Advanced Cell Technology (ACT) gets $35 million Read More »
There are legitimate arguments about the degree to which the FDA should regulate stem cell clinics and the point-of-care, for-profit stem cell industry. I’ve held debates about that on my blog with argument on both sides including a very valuable debate between Dr. Chris Centeno and Doug Sipp. However, increasingly it is looking like the …
As stem cell industry explodes, can a static FDA keep up? Read More »
I love stem cells, but I have to admit bionics is totally amazing as well. Both hold great promise for fixing up human beings as we injured or age. Today a major advance in vision correction via bionics was announced here at UC Davis that has really caught my attention. I was not involved in …
Bionic eye here at UC Davis holds great promise for restoring vision Read More »
Stem cell cosmetics is an exploding area ranging from facial creams (e.g. from L’Oreal and its Lancome) to face lifts to boob jobs to baldness treatments (see two key posts here and here for background and great stories). The stem cell cosmetics field has not been held back by issues such as the fact that …
L’Oreal Lancome gets hammered by FDA, why kid gloves for clinics? Read More »
Francisco Morales and Lawrence Stowe, have pleaded guilty to federal charges related to dubious stem cell treatments. The pair pled guilty to conspiracy charges related to introducing “misbranded and unapproved new drugs into interstate commerce”. The drugs in question? Stem cells. Patrick J. Holland of the FDA said “the FDA is committed to investigating those …
Stem cell frauds Morales and Stowe plead guilty to federal charges: who’s next? Read More »
What are Conflict of Interests (COI)? The term COI is sometimes used inappropriately as a weapon by one party to attempt to discredit others. We see this more and more frequently in the stem cell field with boosters of for-profit, non-FDA vetted adult stem cell clinics attacking scientists for supposed COIs for what…..apparently for simply …
Real and imaginary conflicts of interest: a helpful guide Read More »
The notion of caloric restriction (CR) as a means to prolong human life is intriguing. The basic idea of CR is that if you eat a lot less than the average person you’ll live longer. You might even live a higher quality, healthier life. But is this true? (update: see my newer post on 5 …
Caloric restriction: dieting monkeys teach human scientists? Read More »
Over the years on a fairly regular basis I’ve been contacted by patients seeking information about stem cell treatments and stem cell clinics. Note that patients may want to check out my stem cell patient guide, which has key questions and advocates for a critical, skeptical view of these offerings. But in 2012 the number …
Dubious stem cell clinics increasing and at epidemic levels Read More »