Search Results for: multiple sclerosis

Why a Romney victory would equal a big defeat for MS patients

What would a Romney victory mean for MS patients? Not good news I believe. As we’ve sort of, kinda gotten to know the Romney’s as potential President and First Lady, we’ve all learned some interesting things about them. I, for one, do not feel as though I know them very well still. Like many Americans,

Why a Romney victory would equal a big defeat for MS patients Read More »

Surprising FDA audit report of Celltex a blow to dubious stem cell clinics

Celltex-300x241

As I first reported, the FDA conducted a two-week audit of Texas adult stem cell firm, Celltex, sometime in April. Today I received a copy of the so-called “483 report” of that audit. It is basically a summary of problematic issues that the FDA says need to addressed. The FDA report is cause for some

Surprising FDA audit report of Celltex a blow to dubious stem cell clinics Read More »

Celltex, RNL and phony worst case stem cell scenario comment

A recent article in Nature News about a stem cell transplant company called Celltex got me thinking again about safety. The safety of stem cell-based therapies is kind of an obsession of mine. A question comes to mind. Are people realistic about what stem cells can do for them and the risks involved? The answer

Celltex, RNL and phony worst case stem cell scenario comment Read More »

What are stem cells? Definition & what they are used for

neural stem cells, stem cell therapy

I’ve been lecturing on stem cells as a professor here at UC Davis School of Medicine for many years so I can answer common questions such as “What are stem cells?”. The medical students ask many great questions. They are always interested in clinical applications. The goal of today’s article is to help you have

What are stem cells? Definition & what they are used for Read More »

Who do you call Superman?

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OkSaAhbceBk How we choose or heroes, our Supermen and Superwomen, says a lot about who we are. There’s a scene (above) in one of the Superman movies, starring Christopher Reeve, where Lex Luther puts a Kryptonite necklace on Superman. Superman is powerless around Kryptonite and collapses to the ground.  I always remember that scene because

Who do you call Superman? Read More »

Weekly reads: NurOwn, key gene screen, MS, Croce mess

Nurown BrainStorm

I get a lot of questions about stem cells for ALS and more recently people have been specifically interested in NurOwn from BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics. Recently, the FDA denied BrainStorm’s request for a BLA for NurOwn. The company felt its Phase III trial was encouraging. It sounds like they will move forward with a follow-up

Weekly reads: NurOwn, key gene screen, MS, Croce mess Read More »

Weekly reads: CRISPR, FDA stem cell loss, pioneering AMD study, MS, Verve Therapeutics

FDA stem cell policy flow chart.

The big news of the week was the big FDA stem cell in court by Judge Jesus Bernal here in California, who ruled in favor of a chain of stem cell clinics called Cell Surgical Network. The FDA had been seeking an injunction against the clinics. I believe the ruling was founded in part on

Weekly reads: CRISPR, FDA stem cell loss, pioneering AMD study, MS, Verve Therapeutics Read More »

Weekly reads: Google, stem cells & MS, VSELs, ‘hairy’ organoids, MYC

stem cells differentiating into neurons and glia

It’s been quite a ride doing this blog on stem cells and other technologies for more than a dozen years. So far it seems like I’ll keep it going. A large part of the reason is because of people needing good information about our field. Those people include scientists and physicians but also many in

Weekly reads: Google, stem cells & MS, VSELs, ‘hairy’ organoids, MYC Read More »

Burt Northwestern Stem Cell MS Trial Part 3: Funding, Patient Perspectives, & the Future

Stem-cells-for-MS-trial-concerns-e1493137263166

Today’s post is the last of a three-part series on the Burt stem cell trials at Northwestern. This piece is focused on funding and the future of the trial, and also includes perspectives from patients. You can read Part 1 here and Part 2 here, which focused on issues related to potential encouragement of patient fundraising that unintentionally releases

Burt Northwestern Stem Cell MS Trial Part 3: Funding, Patient Perspectives, & the Future Read More »