Superstar soccer/football player Cristiano Ronaldo will reportedly undergo a stem cell treatment procedure to try to mend a hamstring injury. He is one in a long line of sports stars who are taking this gamble. This is reported by the highly rigorous source, The Daily Mail as well as the Independent. The latter quoted his mother …
Stem cells for goals? Star Ronaldo to get treatment Read More »
We’ve heard of payphones, pay toilets, and other services for which people have to pay for access, but what about pay clinical trials? In a pay clinical trial, patients have to pay anywhere from $10K to over $100K to get in the door. I asked readers of this blog about how they feel about patients …
There’s a growing trend whereby patients have to pay to be in a clinical trial. This is now widely referred to as “pay-to-play”. Proponents of this idea point toward potential benefits in the form of patients gaining access to innovative therapies. They also argue that this approach provides a much-needed funding mechanism for the trials …
Poll: How do you feel about ‘pay-to-play’ clinical trials? Read More »
With the approval today of the use of CRISPR in human embryos, the UK continues its recent trend toward a more permissive regulatory policy on human genetic modification. There are both risks and scientific benefits that come along with this trend. Last year the UK approved an experimental technology with the goal of preventing the …
CRISPR embryo OK signals ongoing liberal UK trend on human modification Read More »
CRISPR-ful Noah’s Ark? Even as much of the discussion surrounding powerful new gene editing and cloning technologies has centered on their possible use in humans, the creation of genetically modified (GM) and cloned animals has advanced at warp speed. Some of these efforts have been for research, which is justified. But many seem profit-centered and …
Noah’s GMO ark: is it ethical to create GM or cloned animals for sale as pets? Read More »
Nature recently published a thorough, insightful piece on the major risks that would come with the use of so-called 3-person IVF (aka mitochondrial transfer or 3-parent baby method). In the UK 3-person IVF has, as of earlier this year, the government’s blessing to proceed despite the many serious unresolved risks that Nature‘s own piece so nicely …
Nature mixed signals on 3-person IVF: deep risks, but forge ahead Read More »
Google is reportedly getting into the genetic modification business. It plans to use a sexy, new genetic technology called “gene drive”, which has both excited and unsettled scientists due to its great power to make GMOs in nature via reproductive chain reactions. This move toward genetic modification is part of a larger trend of Google …
Scientists studying genetics are both excited and worried about a powerful, new technology called “gene drive“. Some have been raising serious concerns about gene drive and in certain cases calling for proactive regulation, which is unusual in science. This method is so powerful because it is designed to induce genetic changes in an entire population …
Exciting CRISPR-powered “gene drive” also has scientists deeply concerned Read More »
As CRISPR gene editing technology has advanced in the last few years, the number of genetically modified animals made with this system has steadily increased. Some are very interesting and useful for science. At the same time especially when they are little, they can be very cute. A nickname is going around for these GM …
CRISPR critters: Cute pics of Cas9 gene edited animals Read More »
One of the many interesting ways in which “stem cells” are named in different languages around the world is “mother cells”. For example, in Spanish, you can learn more about these “mother cells” here in ¿Qué son las células madre? On Mother’s Day it is worth thinking about where the stem cell field stands at this …
Stem cells on Mother’s Day, clinical trials, and more Read More »