Imagine receiving a smidgeon of thymus gland along with a donated heart or kidney, to fool the immune system into accepting the transplant. Authors of a new study argue that might be possible, based on their new proof-of-principle experiments. The team from the Epithelial Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine lab at the Francis Crick …
Should California’s Stem Cell Agency, more widely known as CIRM, get another round of funding from us California voters? I believe the answer is yes and I endorse Proposition 14, which would provide the funding for CIRM to translate dozens of clinical trials into some proven new stem cell-based treatments in the coming decade. However, …
Seth Rogen is a stem cell pitching Prop 14 for CIRM in funny new video Read More »
To get at addressing what’s the real deal on the idea of cellular therapies for COVID-19, I did a short email Q&A interview with Dr. Sean Morrison. Sean is Chair of the Public Policy Committee at ISSCR and Director of Children’s Research Institute at UT Southwestern. He was also President of ISSCR in 2015-2016, and …
Interview with Sean Morrison on cellular therapies for COVID-19 Read More »
The novel coronavirus and the disease it causes, COVID-19, have swept the world with few proven treatment options. Vaccines are only recently being rolled out the last 2 or so months, which gives some real hope. While the novel coronavirus-caused illness is generally a mild disease in kids (many of whom don’t even show symptoms), …
Today’s post is a review and fact check of stem cell supplements. What I found now in 2024 on stem cell pills and related supplements is concerning. As a stem cell biologist, I see risks here not only of wasting one’s money (no positive effect), but also of doing some harm. In certain cases, stem …
I finished listening to the first 6 episodes of the Bad Batch podcast last week. The series is by medical journalist Laura Beil. I think there will be a 7th episode that’s a Q&A. I highly recommend listening to the series even if parts are wrenching at times like how much patients and families have …
Bad Batch podcast’s dark picture of perinatal stem cell industry Read More »
I’ve been concerned about a stem cell group called MD Stem Cells for many years. Now it comes under more scrutiny from a new must-read piece by Donna Young over at S&P Global. Young’s article reports a puzzling, purported right-to-try (RTT) program that MD Stem Cells appears to working on with Richard Garr. Note that …
For me there was a sense of “finally” when just under 3 months ago the FDA filed suits via the DOJ against 2 stem cell clinic firms, U.S. Stem Cell (and its affiliate U.S. Stem Cell Clinic, collectively referred to here as USRM) and California Stem Cell Treatment Center/Cell Surgical Network (collectively referred to here as …
As 2 FDA stem cell clinic suits slowly unfold, more action needed now Read More »
The FDA via the DOJ has sued to get permanent injunctions against US Stem Cell, Inc. (USRM) and California Stem Cell Treatment Center/Cell Surgical Network (CSN). Both firms use an unapproved fat stem cell product in patients called stromal vascular fraction (the SVF production process is pictured at right) that the FDA indicates is generally …
10 questions on FDA suits targeting stem cell clinics Read More »
What is the SCOTS Trial and why are some of its participants raising concerns? There’s a lot going on in Florida with non-FDA approved stem cell offerings. Even just related to stem cells for vision problems alone. While US Stem Cell has drawn the most attention related to patient allegations of severe vision loss in Florida …
15 still unanswered interview questions for stem cells for vision SCOTS trial docs Read More »