Search Results for: US Stem Cell

Frank panel on hidden dangers of stem cell treatments to patients at WSCS2012

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This morning here at The World Stem Cell Summit there was a healthy, frank discussion of the risks associated with receiving unlicensed, unproven stem cell therapies. Dr. Jim Guest presented first and gave a great talk about the risks associated with stem cell treatments. One such risk that was mentioned is inadequate characterization of stem […]

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Celltex & RNLBio/Biostar: breaking up is hard to do?

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Courthouse News Service is reporting that Texas stem cell company Celltex is being sued by Biostar/RNLBio. This is big news as RNLBio was running the Celltex clinic to expand stem cells. Assuming the Courthouse News report is accurate, it suggests that Celltex and their key partner are in the middle of a potentially ugly breakup.

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Do human Very Small Embryonic-Like Stem Cells (VSEL) exist as a normal population of actual stem cells?

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Supposedly there is a type of normal adult stem cell that intrinsically possesses many of the same properties as embryonic stem cells (ESCs). No reprogramming needed. No blastocysts needed. These reportedly amazing cells, called Very Small Embryonic-Like Stem Cells (VSELs), can in theory be isolated from umbilical cord blood (UCB) or even bone marrow. Yet

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‘Making it up as go along’ & ‘take a shot in the dark’ emblematic of mentality of unlicensed stem cell doctors

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The Vegas trial of Dr. Ralph Conti, accused of dangerous stem cell fraud, is going on and reportedly some of the testimony is astonishing in terms of the attitudes of point-of-care, for profit stem cell clinic disregard for their patients. The doctor is quoted that in terms of the stem cell treatments of human patients

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Surprising human mosaicism means not all your cells have the same DNA

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The field of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) has really shaken up science over the last half dozen years reversing our notion that differentiated cells are stuck in that fate, when in reality they are plastic and can “turn back the clock” to become embryonic stem cell-like cells. Now we have an iPSC paper in Nature,

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CIRM comment on prospect of BioTime buying Geron stem cell program

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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

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8 simple reasons not to get an unlicensed stem cell treatment part 2: lack of follow-up

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I’m doing a series of posts on straightforward reasons why patients should not get unlicensed stem cell treatments. Part 1 of the series was on the risk of losing medical insurance coverage. Today is part 2, which is focused on a serious failing of many for-profit, point-of-care stem cell clinics selling unlicensed treatments: lack of

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Knoepfler Lab Award for Stem Cell Person of the Year 2012 with $1000 cash prize: open for nominations

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Over the years I’ve given out yearly awards on this blog for various achievements (good or not so good) in the stem cell field for specific years. See 2010 and 2011 awards here. This year the Knoepfler Lab 2012 Awards are going to be the most exciting ever. I’m going to give out some of

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