The culture warriors of the Right to Life movement and some of the more radical elements in the Tea Party have waged war on embryonic stem cell (ESC) research and researchers. Tagging along like some reluctant bride has been the leadership of the Republican Party. Folks like Mitt Romney and his partner, Paul Ryan, now […]
Has the culture war on stem cells turned into a cold war? Read More »
The Irish Stem Cell Foundation is one of the good guys in the stem cell universe. It works to promote stem cell research and education in an at times hostile environment with fired up opponents who don’t hesitate to fire it up against stem cell advocates. It is therefore exciting that the Foundation has launched
Irish Stem Cell Foundation launches new website! Read More »
Autism affects millions of children in the U.S. alone; could stem cells for autism help? It is a perplexing spectrum of disorders with “autism” being an umbrella term for a host of related neurological illnesses. The negative impact of autism on our society transcends economics, but has been estimated at 10s of billions of dollars.
Stem cells for autism: are we there yet? Read More »
The Texas stem cell clinic, Celltex, is lately becoming a model of transparency in the biotech industry. They are willing to answer many (if not all) questions I’ve been asking them. Celltex is involved in stem cell isolation and multiplication, and banking (see post here on the pros and cons of stem cell banking) as
Interesting new insights into Celltex’s business model Read More »
Is it worth it to do stem cell banking? When I was a kid I remember hearing about people having themselves frozen or even just their heads frozen shortly after death. The idea was to cheat mortality by preserving oneself or critical parts of oneself until some future date when scientists and doctors would have
Cryogenics to stem cell banking: time for deposit? Read More »
I’ve been working for a couple years on SCOPE, the Stem Cell Outreach Program for Education. Our motto is “stem cells not lost in translation!” This program aims to provide concise and clear educational materials about stem cells to as many readers across the world in their native languages as possible. To date, we have
Where do things stand on the potential of stem cell treatments for multiple sclerosis (MS)? MS is an often devastating autoimmune disease in which the immune system attacks its own nervous system. More info can be found at the National MS website here. MS is a very serious health problem globally as about 400,000 people
Stem cell treatments for multiple sclerosis: where do things stand? Read More »
I’m enjoying Celltex’s new website and I’m appreciative of their great responsiveness to my questions. Transparency is a beautiful thing! My latest question to them was whether they, given that the FDA called them a “drug manufacturer”, are now planning to or have already filed an IND. An IND is an application for an investigational
More Celltex Q&A: we are not a drug manufacturer Read More »
How does Texas stem cell clinic Celltex make their stem cell drug? This is a very key question as the answers will help the stem cell field evaluate this drug’s potential safety and efficacy. I’m calling it a “drug” because the FDA called Celltex a “drug manufacturer” and by all past FDA precedent as well
My ongoing Q&A with Celltex on their stem cell drug production methods Read More »
Today there is an editorial piece in the WSJ about the recent court ruling giving the FDA authority to regulate stem cells grown in culture as drugs. As a stem cell scientist, I read this opinion piece with interest. Unfortunately it is behind a paywall, but I have outlined and discussed the key issues below.
WSJ editorial on issue of stem cells as drugs misses the boat Read More »