Some folks can view data from early, small clinical trials too skeptically or overly enthusiastically, and maybe that’s going on with some preliminary results from Verve Therapeutics. Good news? Bad news? I’m going to start with two articles about the same news that have very different vibes. What do I think? On the whole, I […]
Weekly reads: Verve Therapeutics, Casgevy UK OK, GDNF, MYC Read More »
Cell therapy companies face many hurdles. I wrote recently about four cell therapy biotechs that have been really struggling. Blogging here at The Niche for more than a dozen years, I’ve seen many companies even go under. That’s bad news for the field, for patients, and for investors. Today I wanted to highlight some cell therapy
3 cell therapy companies doing well: Vertex, Vericel, & Regeneron Read More »
For me, this was another week of heavy grant writing but also taking on Google again. How? Over how badly its search engine often performs on stem cell queries. I have a new piece at MedPage Today. It’s focused on the problem of Google Search promoting unproven stem cell clinic websites. Google still prefers stem
Weekly reads: Google, CIRM, young Swedish bone marrow Read More »
We all know people who seem far younger than their age, which feeds into the idea of biological age. It’s often in the news these days and all over social media. Some people who are fighting high-profile battles with aging are also doing something I call “health flexing.” I also called these folks by another
Biological age, health flexing, & stabs at rejuvenation Read More »
Neil Riordan may be most well-known for running the Panama stem cell clinic called simply enough the Stem Cell Institute, but he also has a U.S. firm Signature Biologics. The Panama clinic sells unproven umbilical cord cells grown in a lab for a host of medical conditions. I’ve had many concerns about it over the
FDA warns Neil Riordan U.S. perinatal firm Signature Biologics Read More »
BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics is developing Nurown, an investigational therapy intended for treating ALS. I recently posted about BrainStorm and its prospects for providing real hope on stem cells for ALS. I see it as a long shot. The ALS community needs real hope, but one challenge is determining how good clinical data have to be to
BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics Hail Mary with FDA on Nurown for ALS Read More »
It feels like we are marching towards a future in which key aspects of human reproduction, including the use of artificial wombs, could be substantially different than for most of history. The FDA is considering allowing a clinical trial for use of artificial wombs in people. Human trials of artificial wombs could start soon. Here’s
Weekly reads: artificial wombs, mice with rat brains, Neuralink Read More »
The New York Times just broke a story on Burst Biologics and Weill Cornell that fits with long-standing troubling questions about regenerative biologics producers. The story also bears on the doctors and hospitals like Weill Cornell that were or are customers of the suppliers. Further, what is the FDA’s role in all of this? The
Burst Biologics unapproved biologic used by Weill Cornell: was there a cover-up? Read More »
Epigenetic reprogramming is a term used in cell biology that is increasingly ending up in news stories too. Unfortunately, some folks, especially in the cellular rejuvenation and anti-aging space, are getting this term and other things confused. Just to start off, epigenetic reprogramming does not specifically mean cellular rejuvenation. The goal of today’s post is
Defining epigenetic reprogramming, cellular reprogramming & rejuvenation Read More »
A patient who got scientifically unproven and non-FDA-approved stem cells from Dr. Alvaro Skupin, filed suited against him, his wife who is often known as Doctora Nancy or Dra Nancy Alvarez, and associated businesses. These firms include the stem cell clinic known as Mother Stem Cell Institute in Florida, where the injections apparently took place.
Suit against Dr. Alvaro Skupin & Dra Nancy Alvarez over blinding at clinic is settled Read More »