Search Results for: exosomes

Turner pub charts runaway stem cell clinic industry; FDA needs to think big now

November 10, 2021 / By / 9 Comments
U.S. Stem cell clinics map 2021.

Leigh Turner’s new Cell Stem Cell paper on the unproven stem cell clinic industry following up on our collaborative work together in 2015-2016 is great work but very discouraging. He found more than 2,700 clinics run by more than 1,000 firms in the U.S. This is several-fold growth since 2016. I’m very glad that Leigh has continued this line of …

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What is Wharton’s jelly & its possible clinical uses?

June 6, 2022 / By / Leave a Comment
Wharton's jelly umbilical cord H&E

For more than a year in my first job as a scientist I isolated cells from umbilical cord veins and then tossed the tissue away, never realizing there was more there that could be useful in the form of something called Wharton’s jelly. What’s in this article Umbilical cord histology & Wharton’s jelly | What …

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What are adult stem cells & their clinical applications?

November 7, 2022 / By / 2 Comments
mesenchymal cells

When someone uses the term “adult stem cells” you might think that simply means stem cells from adults. However, it’s not that simple. The goal of today’s post is to help you get all the key facts about adult stem cells. This includes the different types of adult stem cells and their clinical potential. What …

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Fact-check of stem cell therapy for pain & neuropathy

April 6, 2022 / By / 4 Comments
knoepfler turner cell stem cell 2016 fig. 2b stem cells for pain and other conditions

Does it make any sense medically or scientifically to use stem cell therapy for pain or neuropathy? There isn’t much solid evidence that this is a good way to go. However, there’s a vast scope of research ongoing in this area. Stem cell clinics have been earning millions of dollars each year selling this idea …

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Perspectives on BioLife: one name, distinct companies

April 1, 2021 / By / 2 Comments
boston biolife

In the stem cell world some corporate names end up being very similar with the latest example being several companies with the name “BioLife.” Get a BioLife…name I guess BioLife is a catchy term. You’ve got life and biology in there in one name. Let’s deconstruct what’s going on out there with this corporate name. …

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Fact-checking stem cell face cream: less than face value

February 26, 2023 / By / 5 Comments
Stem cell face cream. Taking a humorous look at what these might do.

I remember the first time I ran across an ad for a stem cell face cream and it wasn’t pretty. This was about 10 years ago. The stem cell cream in question made several claims that seemed highly doubtful. In a sense what the cream’s maker was selling was the idea of stem cell-based youth …

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List of FDA Approved Stem Cell Therapies & Drugs for 2024

January 12, 2024 / By / 35 Comments
fda stem cells sm

In the past many of us have wished there was a list of FDA-approved stem cell therapies. Patients and fellow scientists often asked me, but I couldn’t find a list. As a result, I made a comprehensive list, which is the focus of today’s post. I’ve updated the list now in 2024 with the great …

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Fact check: Lung Health Institute & cell therapies for lung disease

April 13, 2021 / By / 11 Comments
the lung health institute

What should we make of clinics like the Lung Health Institute? These clinics sell unproven stem cell or regenerative therapies for lung disease. Overall, I’m extremely skeptical. I don’t believe it’s worth the cost. There are also going to be potentially serious health risks. Lung disease is a broad category including COPD, emphysema, pulmonary fibrosis, …

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Mesenchymal cells or MSCs: definition, clinical potential, challenges

September 1, 2022 / By / 16 Comments
mesenchymal cells, MSCs, mesenchymal stem cells, multipotent stem cells

I confess that I’m old enough to remember when the acronym MSC stood unambiguously for “mesenchymal stem cells”, but should it refer to a broader term like “mesenchymal cells”? The field has moved in that direction. I think that’s the best way to go too and I’ll explain why. The goal of today’s post is …

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