Susanne Posel Occupy Corporatism December 27, 2012 Dr. Leon R. Kass, the Addie Clark Harding Professor Emeritus in the Committee on Social Thought and the College at the University of Chicago and former chairman of the Presidents Council on Bioethics under former President George W. Bush, has written a report entitled The Meaning of Life In the Laboratory. Kass discusses the morality surrounding the US governments funding of research on human embryonic stem cells, cells derived from early embryos produced by in vitro fertilization in assisted-reproduction clinics. According to the report, the use of human embryos is justified by the advancements of science which demands that new policies be written to account for the development of regenerative medicine. Kass maintains that stem cells save lives, and therefore their use in research are necessary. Although he states that we must also strive to protect and preserve human dignity, Kass believes that with regard to abortions and stem cell research the continuation of this medical research is worth preserving. Earlier this year, the Obama Administration has approved the use of aborted fetuses in the use of research, even though this practice was previously banned. Obama utilized a loophole in the legislation that … Continue reading →

When cosmetic surgeon Allan Wu first heard the womans complaint, he wondered if she was imagining things or making it up. A resident of Los Angeles in her late sixties, she explained that she could not open her right eye without considerable pain and that every time she forced it open, she heard a strange clicka sharp sound, like a tiny castanet snapping shut. After examining her in person at The Morrow Institute in Rancho Mirage, Calif., Wu could see that something was wrong: Her eyelid drooped stubbornly, and the area around her eye was somewhat swollen. Six and a half hours of surgery later, he and his colleagues had dug out small chunks of bone from the womans eyelid and tissue surrounding her eye, which was scratched but largely intact. The clicks she heard were the bone fragments grinding against one another. About three months earlier the woman had opted for a relatively new kind of cosmetic procedure at a different clinic in Beverly Hillsa face-lift that made use of her own adult stem cells. First, cosmetic surgeons had removed some the womans abdominal fat with liposuction and isolated the adult stem cells withina family of cells that can … Continue reading →

A woman presented herself in Dr. Allan Wu's office with a symptom the cosmetic surgeon had never before encountered: she heard a distinct clicking sound, "like a tiny castanet snapping shut," every time she opened her right eye. The eye was painful and swollen. When Wu operated, he found bone shards growing inside her eyelid. Why did this happen? Because the patient had previously undergone a facelift that used her own adult stem cells. Stem cells as is their wont will grow into a variety of tissues. Under certain conditions, that includes bone. As Scientific American reports: First, cosmetic surgeons had removed some the woman's abdominal fat with liposuction and isolated the adult stem cells within a family of cells that can make many copies of themselves in an immature state and can develop into several different kinds of mature tissue. In this case the doctors extracted mesenchymal stem cells which can turn into bone, cartilage or fat, among other tissues and injected those cells back into her face, especially around her eyes. The procedure cost her more than $20,000, Wu recollects. Such face-lifts supposedly rejuvenate the skin because stem cells turn into brand-new tissue and release chemicals that help … Continue reading →

As usual, at the end of the year, I overview the most interesting and important events in cell therapy and Regen industry. The list of top 10 events reflects solely my opinion. 1. Debate on regulation of adult stem cells as drugs I think, it was the most important and interesting debate in 2012. In July, the lawsuit of Regenerative Sciences versus FDA got a new turn US Federal court ruled in favor of FDA regulation cultured adult stem cells as drugs. This ruling and ongoing debate has far-reaching implications for cell therapy industry as a whole. Based on court decision, FDA has a power to regulate stem cell clinics, which attempt to offer autologous adult stem cells (AASC) as a medical procedure on the US market. Yet another notable provocative event was an inspection of CellTex facility with following warning letter. FDA consistently and persistently says that almost all of AASC should be regulated as drugs or any other biologics, means via clinical trials (IND) and BLA (Biologics License Application). Federal court ruling and CellTex inspection triggers a lot of good and productive debates among cell therapy industry professionals, patient advocates, academics and physicians. But, it also polarized community … Continue reading →