We heard this week about the encouraging news of a new CRISPR-stem cell collaboration between stem cell biotech ViaCyte and CRISPR Therapeutics. The goal of the team is to make genetically engineered pancreatic derivatives from stem cells that would have a unique immune stealthiness. If such an approach was successful, patients would not need to […]
Quick Q&A with ViaCyte CEO on CRISPR-stem cell work Read More »
One of the most common questions about stem cells is economic as patients ask about stem cell treatment cost. How much is the price tag? Empowered with information patients can start thinking like consumers and look out for their own interests more vigorously. I’ve blogged and done polls before about how much patients self-report having paid
Stem cell treatment poll results: how repeat shots boost costs Read More »
Sometimes we could all use a jolt of good news and cool science. Those of us in the stem cell field probably get tired at times of all the bad-ish, even if important news (like this from Michael Hiltzik of the LA Times) out there surrounding certain unproven stem cell offerings and also clinics that
Some stem cell good news, stuff for debate, & cool pubs Read More »
New court documents indicate that the stem cell clinic Stemgenex was contemplating paying nearly $20K to try to get certain webpages that were critical of the company taken down. The documents include internal company emails that are part of the lawsuit against the firm. They indicate that Stemgenex was mulling over the idea of hiring a “reputation management” company,
Stemgenex clinic mulled campaign against critic websites including CIRM per court docs Read More »
What is the Billionaire’s blood & stem cell club and how does one get into that? The focus of what I’m satirically calling this “billionaire’s club” is on anti-aging and prolonging life. If you have a lot of money and are willing to take risks on yourself toward some specific goal such as staying young
Anti-aging and the billionaires young blood & stem cell club Read More »
The cost of stem cell treatments is a big deal for many reasons including the burden it puts on patients, who often then turn to friends, family and even the Internet to try to obtain the money needed to pay the for-profit clinic. A reasonable question to ask is how the cost of a stem
Poll: How many stem cell treatments have you had? Read More »
Sometimes when I talk about possible placebo effects with fans of stem cell clinics I feel like placebo becomes akin to a bad word in the discussion. However, any kind of medical procedure can cause placebo effects in people. We’re all susceptible to it. I believe that many perceived positive outcomes at stem cell clinics
Placebo effect & “the fade” after stem cell clinic shots Read More »
Stem cells for arthritis and pain are hot topics these days and I’m getting an increasing number of patients reaching out with questions and sharing their situations related to arthritis or pain (or usually both together). I asked one arthritis patient who reached out to me if they would be OK with me sharing their
Arthritis patient with pain’s email on stem cell clinic & my answer Read More »
What do you read on the weekend? I wish for me it was at least in part some contemporary novel or science fiction, but that’s rare. More often than not it is almost all science. I do read the Sunday NY Times at least. I usually accumulate things during the week that I want to
TGIF Weekend Science Reads: stem cells, PRP, CIRM, CRISPR, & more Read More »
Who decides whether a stem cell therapy is “good” or “bad”, and should that kind of a judgment be more focused on direct patient perspectives such as their stem cell therapy reviews as consumers or based on biomedical science? Both? I’ve written before about how stem cell patients are increasingly thinking of themselves as consumers
Stem cell therapy reviews: knees, lung, autism, & Regenexx Read More »