The upcoming big FDA 2-day public stem cell meeting next week is generating a lot of interest within the stem cell community and also with members of the media. I expect there to be tons of coverage, which should be a good thing (note that there’s a different FDA stem cell meeting tomorrow). If you can’t make […]
For big FDA stem cell meeting, are clinics paying some participants? Read More »
This edition of our stem cell news bites finds a number of notable stem cell news items. A potentially cool link between gut stem cells and microbiota is reported by Tae-Hee Kim of the Ontario Institute for Regenerative Medicine. See the nifty image of the stem cells from Dr. Kim showing proliferating gut cells in
Stem cell news bites: microbiota, clinic doc death, Stem Cells Inc, & more Read More »
When potentially game changing new technologies are reported such as NgAgo gene editing, both scientists and the public get excited, but especially if such new reports stem from a single paper it is wise to take a cautious approach for a while. The key question is whether the new findings will turn out to be
Nature Biotechnology looking at NgAgo paper amidst reproducibility concerns Read More »
Each December I make stem cell predictions for the coming year and I did that for 2016 where I made 20 predictions. At around mid year I do a checkup on how my predictions are doing halfway and that is the purpose of this post. Below are my predictions that I made in 2015 for stem
Stem cell checkup: how are my 2016 predictions doing half way? Read More »
The journal Nature published an excellent editorial earlier this week on stem cell oversight and stem cell clinics. The piece, entitled ” FDA should stand firm on stem-cell treatments. US regulators must regain the upper hand in the approval system” struck just the right balance. It correctly supported the FDA’s data-centered approach to stem cell oversight and
Perspectives: Nature editorial on stem cell oversight & clinics gets it right Read More »
It’s an exciting time to be a stem cell scientist and I feel fortunate to be doing research on stem cells today what with all the developments recently and real promise for clinical impact in coming decades. There’s also unfortunately a ton of hype out there including in academia, biotech, and the stem cell clinic
Stem cells on the 4th of July: plenty of fireworks lately Read More »
There’s been a lot of buzz the last few days about reviving the dead via stem cells. Is this possible? Who knows, but it would be very long odds. Could it lead to zombies? Not really, but there could be negative outcomes even if it seems to sorta work (more below). Bioquark, Inc. is a
Beyond zombies: reviving dead people with stem cells & lasers? Read More »
Blood testing biotech Theranos finds itself in a hole that seemingly just keeps getting deeper with the report today that the company is under criminal investigation. Can it bounce back? Some people are really upset with Theranos for allegedly making misleading statements including both to investors and the government about its technologies. It’s no exaggeration
Will there be a Theranos of the stem cell field? Read More »
There’s been an interesting and diverse discussion going on here on this blog lately related to some stem cell translational things including a stem cell clinic operating in Sacramento (see 50+ comments on that post) and then more recently on a new paper from the Centeno clinic. .@pknoepfler Did most (or all) participants in this study pay
Do for-profit stem cell studies have inherent potential biases? Read More »
There is considerable interest in FDA regulatory reform here in the U.S. for stem cell therapies. The goal is to get new treatments to patients faster, but is there a way to do that without sacrificing proven safety and efficacy? You need convincing data on both safety and efficacy or speed becomes dangerous. Bipartisan Policy Center
Cons Outweigh Potential Pros to BPC Plan on Stem Cells & FDA Read More »