Stem cells grown under low oxygen. These stem cells from Stemedica are licensed to CardioCell. Dr. David Gorski, a prominent skeptic of therapies offered outside the scientifically controlled clinical trial system, has published an extensive and critical look at the stem cell therapy Gordie Howe received in early December to help him recover from a serious stroke. I had email exchanges with Gorski while writing my article last week on the treatment, which uses stem cells provided by San Diego-based Stemedica. Gorski, whose previous blog post at Science-Based Medicine on Howe's treatment caught my attention, follows through with an analysis of the clinical trial setup used by Novastem, a Mexican stem cell company licensed by Stemedica to use its cells. Dr. Murray Howe and his hockey great father, Gordie Howe, on a fishing trip in Saskatchewan in 2013. / Courtesy Murray Howe "As sympathetic as I am to the Howe family, Im sorry. I reluctantly have to say that Murray Howe really should know better," Gorski wrote. "If Gordie Howe was treated as part of a clinical trial, then Novastem should have treated him for free! Thats because if it is running a clinical trial, it should treat everyone on … Continue reading →

You can purchase 14 gallons of organic milk or 396 lollipops. You can give her 33 rides on the Ferris wheel at the state fair, or you can get him a couple of violin lessons. You could put the money in a savings account, you could buy her her very own LeapFrog LeapPad Explorer digital learning tablet, or you could buy enough pizzas to feed all of her friends on the block. So many options, so many choices. I took that money and got my daughters genes tested, ordering up an analysis of the composition of her very small self and its odds of living a long and healthy life. And in so doing, I in some small way tied her fate to the success of the company doing the analysis, a genetic-testing startup called 23andMe in Mountain View, California. Last May, Angelina Jolie revealed in a New York Times op-ed that she had chosen to have a double mastectomy after testing positive for a likely lethal BRCA1 mutation. Her generous manifesto spoke to the value of knowledge and the ability to act upon it. That morning, emails, texts, and calls came pouring in for Anne Wojcicki, founder and CEO … Continue reading →

Medical Genetics Branch The Medical Genetics Branch (MGB) seeks to identify and understand inherited disorders of metabolism and of human development. MGB investigators focus on human genetics, vertebrate embryology, inborn errors of metabolism, and neurogenetic disorders. Projects performed at the biochemical, molecular, and cell biological levels involve the direct study of human subjects as well as the development and use of experimental model systems, such as zebrafish and mouse. The Branch fosters outstanding basic research and serves as a model for translational research, emphasizing the compassionate and scientifically rigorous application of basic science discoveries at the bedside. Branch researchers develop and test new diagnostic tests and treatments for patients with rare genetic disorders in the NIH Clinical Center. To achieve their goals, MGB investigators use a variety of cutting-edge techniques to address questions regarding disease pathophysiology and human development. In addition to making extensive and selective use of genomic data, MGB researchers routinely capitalize on partnerships with key laboratories at NHGRI, NIH, and worldwide. The Branch attracts patients with rare disorders and engages in collaborations that have led to the acquisition of large sample sets from unique populations. Studies of these rare patients and populations have proven invaluable for advancing … Continue reading →