Every year around this time I put my “best of” the year in stem cells including awards such as my Stem Cell Person of the Year Award. For example here are the 2011 awards. This year I’m also trying with difficult to decide on what was the craziest thing for stem cells that happened in […]
What was the strangest event for stem cells in 2012? Pick from top 5 in poll Read More »
Today, a judge issued a complex, temporary restraining order (PDF here, provided by Celltex) regarding Texas stem cell company Celltex and Human Biostar Inc (HBI)/Biostar, former partners who are now in conflict and have sued each other. For more background see here, here, and here. Note that while both parties have sued each other, the judge’s ruling
Here on The Niche I’m giving out a Stem Cell Person of the Year Award for 2012 along with all my other annual awards (e.g. best stem cell journal, paper, blog, comic, activist, etc). 2020 update: you can see future winners of the award here. The Person of the Year winner will get recognition for
Stem Cell Person of the Year Finalists: time to vote Read More »
Often on this blog I focus on challenges or problems in the stem cell universe, but sometimes it is important to focus on the good news and 2012 had much of that. There are more stem cell-based clinical trials than ever before and there is good reason to believe that many FDA-approved stem cell products
The good news about stem cells for 2012 Read More »
Advanced Cell Technology (ACT) is well into clinical trials for macular degeneration (the leading cause of blindness) using human embryonic stem cell (hESC)-based retinal pigmented epithelial cells (RPE). To date, the trials suggest the products are safe. Efficacy? We don’t know. I am cautiously hopeful, but it is frustrating to know that most clinical trials
Have I got a stem cell for you! We hear a lot about the dangers of an increasing number of rogue stem cell clinics, but another critical trend has flown more under the radar: direct marketing of stem cells to doctors. This is big business and arguably one of the biggest threats to patients. In
Stem cell black market emerging in the U.S. Read More »
What’s the big deal about unproven stem cell treatments, patients often ask me. Why should patients avoid these? Because paradoxically such treatments, intended to cure disease, can have devastating negative consequences for your health. I’m doing an eight-part series, “Eight simple reasons not to get a stem cell treatment”. The first two blog posts were
Celltex is a stem cell company in Texas most well known for Guv Rick Perry’s stem cell transplant. The Celltex business model is to isolate, amplify, and bank patients’ stem cells for subsequent treatment by physicians (for more background including on the FDA role see here and here). Until the last few weeks, an important element
Celltex and former partner RNL Bio/Biostar sue each other: what’s going on? Read More »
I’m here at the World Stem Cell Summit in Florida. I just was in the audience for a great panel discussion on The Role of States in Regulating Stem Cell Therapies. It was contentious but raised almost all of the key questions in this area. There was particularly interesting and vigorous debate between two participants,
When biotech Geron punted on its embryonic stem cell (ESC) program despite having an ongoing FDA-approved clinical trial for spinal cord injury and tens of millions in loan funding from CIRM, many in the stem cell field were upset to put it mildly. Geron repaid the CIRM loan with interest. At the time, the general
CIRM comment on prospect of BioTime buying Geron stem cell program Read More »