New ISSCR President, Dr. Janet Rossant, kindly agreed to do an interview with me focused on the future of ISSCR, her plans for her tenure, and some key issues in the field. Dr. Rossant is Chief of Research at The Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto. 1. The stem cell arena is a very rapidly changing one […]
I predict that cosmetics firm Olay will announce an anti-aging cosmetic product specifically based on stem cells in some way soon. But can stem cell technology now really make you younger? No, according to the best science; maybe at some point in the future. Yes, according to a hypeful HuffPost piece, which discussed work by a
Rip Van Wrinkle: Olay-funded stem cell research on supposed ‘fountain of youth’ Read More »
The Philippines Medical Association (PMA) is reportedly (article from ABS-CBN News) investigating the recent deaths of 3 prominent politicians due to stem cell therapies via stem cell tourism in Germany at an as yet unidentified clinic. The names of the politicians are unknown, but strangely enough today there’s another separate article on stem cells from the Philippine
Philippines Investigating 3 Politician Deaths Allegedly From Stem Cells in Germany Read More »
I worry that NASA is suffering from apophenia and pareidolia. Both acute and chronic cases. What the heck? Let me explain. Do you ever look up at the clouds and see fluffy animals? Or maybe other things that clouds look like such as a train, plane, or a dragon? Pareidolia is the tendency of people
NASA suffering from pareidolia & apophenia? The watery science of Mars Read More »
Be my eyes and ears as I look for stem cell ads, especially with hype, that show up in the mainstream media. You might win some cool stem cell swag. When you see such an ad, document it somehow! How? By taking a photo or copying the link if it is on the web or
Contest: find mainstream media stem cell ads Read More »
Today’s post is an interview I did with Dr. Van Bokkelen covering 10 questions. Dr. Gil Van Bokkelen is Chairman and CEO of Athersys, Inc., a company that has focused heavily on stem cells and regenerative medicine for more than a decade. For more on Dr. Van Bokkelen’s background see additional bio section at the end of
Interview with Gil Van Bokkelen Read More »
Harvard Stem Cell Institute (HSCI) is making a big announcement today about stems, the biggest they say in their almost decade-long existence. Last night I speculated/predicted some possible announcements. Today I’m betting they will announce the discovery of a novel factor called Betatrophin. More on Betatrophin in a minute, but first why do I think
What is Betatrophin & why is Harvard so excited about it? Read More »
Below, guest blogger, John Carbona gives us his account (including pictures) of Day 2 of the Vatican Stem Cell Meeting, which included a talk by Nobel Laureate John Gurdon. Note, you can read John’s post on Day 1 of the meeting including more great pictures here. Friday, April 12, 2012 The Second International Vatican Adult
John Carbona on Day 2 of Vatican Stem Cell Meeting including Gurdon Talk Read More »
Is this a “good” stem cell blog post to write as I gobble down my lunch in between working on grants….hmm, maybe not. Too late! Stem cells are hot all around the globe, but they are particularly scorching hot in certain countries such as the Philippines. There are an increasing number of news articles on
Please pass on bull testicles Soup No. 5 & on stem cell Soup No. 7 Read More »
How do dubious stem cell clinics get patients in the door to make money? In part they do this via the Internet via the clinics’ own websites. There are also patient websites, some secret, which may serve ad recruitment tools for specific clinics. A more general tactic may be the use of so-called “recruiter-patients”. There
Recruiter-patients: how common & corrupt is this practice at US stem cell clinics? Read More »