Can stem cells treat the different forms of arthritis that plague 100s of millions of people across the globe? A couple years back I did a post in my disease focus series on the potential of stem cells to be used as treatments for osteoarthritis (OA). OA affects almost 30 million people in the U.S. […]
Stem cells for arthritis: are we there yet? Read More »
Stem cells grown in culture are drugs. Agree or disagree? I believe it is a correct statement. I don’t think it is even a question any more as it was a few months ago. Yes, I am convinced that the FDA, as supported by a recent federal court ruling, has it right that growing stem
2 decades as cell biologist tell me grown stem cells are drugs Read More »
There was a burst of feeling last night in the stem cell community as word began circulating that a federal court had ruled in favor of the FDA defining manipulated stem cell products as drugs. However, not everyone was pleased with the court ruling. The clinics most directly affected by the ruling were understandably upset,
Refuting potential downsides to stem cell drug court ruling Read More »
Are stem cells drugs? At least for today, a federal court unambiguously ruled that the answer to this question for manipulated stem cells is “Yes”. The story has been reported in the media at New Scientist and Scope Blog. You can read over the key issues here. The court ruled in favor of the federal government and FDA and against
Court empowers FDA to regulate stem cells as drugs Read More »
Sellers of dubious stem cell treatments are playing their own versions of “stem cell shell” and definitely it is not to benefit patients. Remember that game where the slick guy on the street corner (at least in the movies) has three shells and one pea and he shuffles them around….then you are supposed to point
Stem cell shell game puts patients at risk Read More »
“I lied to patients,” testified a weeping, young woman in court related to a fraud allegation involving stem cells. She had worked as an office assistant at a company that injected bogus and potentially dangerous cow-based “stem cell” treatments into human patients. This company, which in different incarnations went by various names including Biomark in
Testimony in supermodel stem cell fraud case: “I lied to patients” Read More »
A Korean stem cell clinic has been sued. For the first time to my knowledge, patients have sued a dubious stem cell clinic (RNL Bio) for fraud. As one stem cell expert has put it (see below), now there is “blood in the water”. RNL Bio of Korea has reportedly (hat tip to Leigh Turner) just been
Korean stem cell clinic sued by patients in U.S. for fraud: RNL Bio Read More »
Lee Buckler is a true stem cell industry guru. As I’ve been writing this blog for the last couple years it has served as a catalyst for me to meet dozens of really interesting people including. Given all the complex events of late in the stem cell field, I asked Lee if he would do an
Great interview with Lee Buckler on stem cell industry, regulatory issues, and Celltex Read More »
Adult stem cell clinics are growing fast across the U.S. and the world. Many questions surround them. How do they get patients? How does the money flow? How does the FDA view them? How do all the different parties interact?In science when we study how various proteins or other molecules interact as a system we
The interactome of the adult stem cell universe Read More »
Why is the Texas stem cell company Celltex so super duper private about itself? I’m not sure. It has been the subject of much discussion in the stem cell field in the past year. Unfortunately, much of the news has been negative, largely related to their former head of ethics, Glenn McGee, who also was
Wondering why Celltex is still so silent Read More »