What’s your lab like? What do you work on? What are you most excited about? Is your lab hiring? What are your lab traditions? Superstitions? How messy/clean is your lab? You can see a picture of me in my lab below about 5-6 years ago…the usual busy semi-clutter of a lab. You can win $100 […]
Lab tour video contest: $100 prize Read More »
Is the largest affiliated group of stem cell clinics in America, Cell Surgical Network, now using laboratory-proliferated stem cells in patients? Do they already have some kind of final FDA approval for this clinical approach given that lab-grown stem cells are generally viewed as drugs requiring premarket approval? Over the years I’ve reached out to
Former Texas governor Rick Perry, now the Trump Department of energy (DoE) nominee, has a long association with the Texas stem cell clinic, Celltex. He was a patient of Celltex, which some years back infused Perry with non-FDA approved stem cells. The company received a warning letter from the FDA and since that time has
Rick Perry resigns from stem cell clinic Celltex, where he earned $175K Read More »
STAP is back? Really? No, I don’t believe so, but there’s an interesting development and twist on the STAP cell front. Just a few days ago on January 4, 2017 Dr. Charles Vacanti, the originator of the STAP cells concept, submitted a declaration to the USPTO affirming the belief that STAP cells are real and requesting that
STAP cells (stap細胞) are real deal says new Vacanti patent declaration Read More »
What happens for patients and clinics after a stem cell facelift gone wrong? What about other cell injection problems? Cell therapies raise new challenges and risks. You can stop taking a pill or an injection treatment. However, you can’t stop or retract stem cell treatments if there’s a bad side effect. Unlike other kinds of
Clinics can’t retract problems like stem cell facelift gone wrong Read More »
Last week I posted my list of 2017 predictions for the stem cell field. Today a couple of days into 2017 I’m more focused on hope than realism. What would I wish for in the stem cell and regenerative medicine arena in the coming year? More stem cell clinical trial data posted and published. There are
Stem cell wish list for 2017 Read More »
A new Cell paper from Juan Carlos Izpisua Berlmonte’s group has made headlines about anti-aging across the globe because it suggests that the four core induced pluripotent stem cell (IPSC) factors use by Shinya Yamanaka to make IPSC can reverse aging. I’ve pasted the graphical abstract from the paper below and done a quick journal club style
Quick journal club on IPSC anti-aging paper: cool, but outstanding questions Read More »
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 »
There is a growing trend of apparently unhappy patients suing stem cell clinics, which have faced more lawsuits recently and some of these cases are proposed class action suits that could have much broader impact. The latest case is against San Diego-based Stemgenex, a clinic that has claimed amongst other things that it can treat numerous diverse afflictions and that
Stem cell clinic lawsuits proliferate with latest against Stemgenex Read More »
Concerns over stem cell clinics allegedly causing blindness or other vision problems have been increasing in 2016. If this is in fact happening, the extra sad part of this is that some clinics have claimed that they are doing the opposite: improving vision in patients. What are the concerns? Earlier this year a publicly-traded stem
2nd lawsuit alleging a U.S. stem cell clinic caused blindness Read More »