Both current and former professional sports stars are lining up to get stem cell “treatments” of various kinds for all sorts of injuries and medical conditions including now Bart Starr. The aging stars who have received stem cell interventions include former San Francisco 49ers quarterback John Brodie (age 79) and more recently hockey legend, Gordie Howe. Update: More recently tennis star Boris Becker got stem cell shots as well. In fact, Howe’s treatment caused a media frenzy of a sort in which now ex-ESPN …Read More
Gordie Howe
NFL Hall of Fame player Bart Starr has reportedly turned to stem cells for hope after having a series of strokes in 2014. The Starr family made a statement that Bart, now 81 years old, was accepted into a clinical trial using stem cells. This seems similar to the stem cell path that the family of hockey legend Gordie Howe took following his strokes last year. Gordie just got a second treatment this year apparently. You can read about Howe’s treatment and that complicated …Read More
Hockey legend Gordie Howe had a devastating stroke last fall and supposedly a stem cell treatment in Mexico from for-profit stem cell businesses, Stemedica and Novastem, caused a remarkable recovery in Howe. It has been one of the most hyped stem cell stories in history. What really happened? Today a new article on a fresh investigation into this story sheds some important additional light on it including the bombshell that Howe’s family has invested in Stemedica. For background, the Howe treatment was given via stem cell company Stemedica …Read More
There was a time I used to watch Countdown with Keith Olbermann on a regular basis and for a few years, I really enjoyed it. After a while I kind of lost interest. Today Olbermann does a sports show on ESPN and it’s just not the same. He also seems like he’s not the same old Olbermann that many of us could appreciate so much in days past. For example he’s been gushing over a non-FDA approved stem cell “treatment” given in Mexico to Mr. …Read More
The stem cell company Stemedica along with Mexican partner Novastem conducted a stem cell intervention on hockey legend Gordie Howe, who had suffered strokes in 2014. This situation has sparked a lot of discussion and media attention including a recent interview with Stemedica leadership on the Keith Olbermann show on ESPN. For balance and fairness I invited Stemedica to comment on this situation and below I have posted their January 23 response verbatim: “As part of ipscell.com’s coverage of Gordie Howe’s participation in a …Read More
The stem cell company Stemedica has made a name for itself in the media lately through hockey legend Gordie Howe, who received a non-FDA approved stem cell “treatment” in Mexico via Stemedica and its partner, Novastem. Howe, known as Mr. Hockey, had several strokes in late 2014 and his health was declining. Stemedica and Novastem gave Howe a free stem cell therapy. According to his family, Howe got a lot better. I’m glad he’s feeling better. What I’m less sure of is whether the stem cells or …Read More
The Texas stem cell clinic Celltex was one of the most controversial businesses in the world of stem cells in 2012 and 2013 (see here for background and as an update see this new post on how the Texas clinic has teamed up with a local university). The FDA essentially shut down the Celltex clinical operations in Texas for a host of issues, but the company itself has forged on even so. Now the firm is part of a new controversy involving dubious, experimental …Read More
I have heard back from Stemedica on some questions I had on their role in the stem cell intervention done on hockey legend Gordie Howe. I heard from Marcie J. Frank, VP at Stemedica for Investor Relations. I want to thank her for answering the questions and doing so so quickly. Q: Did Stemedica write the Howe family statement or part of it? A: Stemedica did not write any part of the Howe family statement; that was released by Gordie’s family. Q: Did Stemedica/Novastem provide free treatment …Read More
One of the bigger stem cell stories in the past week was that hockey legend Gordie Howe had received a stem cell ‘treatment” that had “miraculous” positive effects after having a few strokes over the last couple months. (update: see more on celebrities rolling the dice on unproven stem cells here). I am highly skeptical of this holiday miracle stem cell story and very disappointed in the media for essentially swallowing the PR (most often verbatim) without giving it more thought. How about doing investigative reporting …Read More