Search Results for: skin stem cells

Weekend recommended reads: Athersys, ALS, COVID-19, Fibroblasts, Zoom brain

February 1, 2021 / By / 3 Comments
Fibroblasts-regeneration

What are you reading these days and does it include topics like cell therapies for COVID-19, ALS, regenerative potential of fibroblasts, and why Zoom meetings are so tiring for the brain? I cover those topics and more below with recommended reads including papers and media items. Here’s last week’s recommended reads. Here’s to fibroblasts, which …

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Striking FDA Hahn & Marks JAMA pub on regenerative clinics

February 1, 2021 / By / 5 Comments
Dr-Stephen-Hahn-Commissioner-of-FDA

It was fascinating to read a new JAMA piece by the FDA on unproven stem cell clinics and other regenerative medicine firms. Many of these guys are profiteering off of buzz about exciting, but mostly unproven technologies. While the JAMA opinion piece reiterates the agency’s commitment to evidence-based regenerative medicine, it also makes some other …

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What is PRP injection cost, risks, & possible benefits

December 15, 2022 / By / 16 Comments
PRP-Platelet-Rich-Plasma-injected-into-a-hand-1024x576-1

What is platelet-rich plasma or PRP injection cost and is it worth trying? The goal of today’s post is to fact-check PRP based on the scientific literature and educate readers including on PRP cost. What is in this article PRP is getting more popular  |   Is it worth it?   |   What exactly is PRP?  …

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Authors on The Niche

Paul-Knoepfler

The Niche has had many authors over the years, focusing on expertise in the biomedical arena and in particular related to stem cells. I’ve invited many authorities in particular areas to write posts. Over the years I’ve written probably 99+% of the posts here on The Niche, but we’ve also had some great guest authors …

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Scientists try not to lose it with their labs shut by the pandemic

February 1, 2021 / By / 2 Comments
light-at-the-end-of-the-tunnel

How can we scientists find ways to keep doing our research during the COVID19 pandemic even if it has nothing to do with the coronavirus? Also, how should those of us involved in science communication talk about the outbreak? At a more basic level, how can scientists try not to go bonkers during this dark …

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Liveyon is back (again) with unproven exosome product

July 20, 2021 / By / 11 Comments
Liveyon

Remember our old friends Liveyon? Their leader John Kosolcharoen? Liveyon’s continuing metamorphosis This biologics supply firm has gone through several stages of corporate metamorphosis as a supplier of biologics including at first a purported living umbilical cord stem cell product. That stem cell thrust ultimately landed a dozen or more people in the hospital as …

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Unnatural Selection review: captivating mind-bender but needed more science

February 1, 2021 / By / 2 Comments
Unnatural-Selection-with-patient-Jackson-Kennedy

Today’s post is a review of Unnatural Selection, the new Netflix science docuseries focused on CRISPR and other disruptive genetic and reproductive technologies. The show is an interesting mix of personalities and stories from patients, scientists, biohackers, and more. One patient thread is the story of a wonderful little boy named Jackson Kennedy. He wants …

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Report a bad clinic

stem-cell-clinic-dart-board

The stem cell clinic industry selling unapproved “therapies” is ubiquitous and yet somehow still growing it seems. Many of us are encountering more of them including via ads and the clinics are basically all over the place. What should someone do if they see or have had a bad experience with a stem cell clinic …

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As exosome work advances, clinics pitch unproven therapies to patients

February 1, 2021 / By / 29 Comments
exosome-clinical-trials

Time to sell exosome therapies to patients? No. Some stem cell clinics and related firms are looking for new ways to make profits and toward that goal a few have latched onto the legitimate buzz around exosome research. What are exosomes? Imagine if you could bubble up a pea-sized sphere off your skin full of …

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Perspectives on uncritical NYT coverage of cardiac mitochondrial transplant trial

February 1, 2021 / By / 12 Comments
mitochondrial-transplant-for-heart

One of the reasons I’m a scientist is that I find biology fascinating and admittedly novel biomedical science can really catch my eye, but more recently as a somewhat grizzled researcher, I’ve become increasingly skeptical about some “sexy” research and media coverage of it. A small red flag went up for me as I was …

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