Recently I had the opportunity to talk with the leadership of Asterias, a California biotech doing exciting clinical research using stem cells as the basis for treatment of spinal cord injury. The interview covers the past (Geron patients), present, and future. I spoke with Asterias President and CEO Stephen Cartt and CMO Edward Wirth. How […]
Asterias interview: stem cell spinal cord injury trials advance Read More »
It takes a great deal of courage to participate in a clinical trial, patients who make that choice are heroes in my book and one such hero with stem cells was Ted Harada who had ALS. Sadly, Ted passed away from a brain tumor called glioblastoma last month. When enrolling in a trial, you just never
Tribute to Ted Harada, pioneering stem cell trial participant and ALS advocate Read More »
So you’ve got a great draft paper on stem cells or regenerative medicine, but you’re wondering, “Which of the stem cell journals do I submit it too?” I get asked this question fairly often so I decided to do a post on it. Sometimes I ask myself this question about a paper we have nearly
Where to submit my paper? A guide to stem cell journals Read More »
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-for-play 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
Pay-for-play clinical trials? 70% negative polling Read More »
There’s a growing trend whereby patients have to pay to be in a clinical trial, which are called pay-to-play clinical trials. 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 and that
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
With CRISPR, is GMO also for Google? Read More »