A peptide you swallow. NEJM (Oct 14) published a phase 2b trial of oral icotrokinra, a once-daily IL-23 receptor blocking peptide, in 252 adults with ulcerative colitis. Week 12 clinical response: 63%, 58%, 55% on the three doses vs 27% on placebo. It's already FDA-approved as Icotyde for plaque psoriasis (March 2026). For UC it's still investigational, phase 3 is underway, and J&J funded it. Not medical advice. #Peptides

Stem cells from baby teeth, in a cancer transplant study. A pilot in Stem Cell Research & Therapy (Oct 17) gave 7 lymphoma patients dental pulp stromal cells (SHED) alongside their own stem cell transplant. 7 got the transplant alone. All 7 SHED patients hit the red cell recovery threshold vs 1 of 7 controls, and peak reticulocyte counts were over 3x higher. Tiny, single center, investigational, not FDA approved. Still wild that the tooth fairy's haul might help rebuild blood. doi.org/10.1186/s13287-026-0…

How much protein do you really need a day? "1 gram per pound" has no study behind it. It came out of bodybuilding culture (Arnold aimed for roughly 0.88 to 1 g/lb) and got repeated by magazines and supplement companies for decades. The RDA is 0.8 g/kg (about 0.36 g/lb). It's based on nitrogen balance studies and set to prevent deficiency, so think of it as a floor. If you train, the ISSN recommends 1.4 to 2.0 g/kg. The Morton et al. 2018 meta-analysis (49 studies) found muscle gains leveled off around 1.6 g/kg, with an upper confidence limit near 2.2 g/kg. That's 1 g/lb, so the old rule sits right at the top of the useful range. Reasons to eat more: protecting muscle in a calorie deficit (Helms et al. suggest 2.3 to 3.1 g/kg of lean mass for lean lifters), better fullness, and a higher thermic effect than carbs or fat. Adults over 65 should get at least 1.0 to 1.2 g/kg (PROT-AGE). Safety: Antonio et al. ran trained lifters at 4.4 g/kg for 8 weeks and about 2.5 to 3.3 g/kg for a year with no harmful effects, and a 2018 meta-analysis found no kidney harm in healthy people. If you have kidney disease, talk to your doctor first. What's your daily target? Morton 2018: bjsm.bmj.com/content/52/6/37… ISSN: jissn.biomedcentral.com/arti… #Protein #Fitness

Using peptides with surgery coming up? Tell your surgeon. A June 2026 orthopedic review found no high-quality studies on how BPC-157, TB-500, GHK-Cu or GH secretagogues affect wound healing, bleeding, infection, or implant outcomes after joint replacement. Their top concern was the sterility and dosing of unregulated injectables. Their advice is to disclose everything, hold nonessential injectables before elective surgery, and restart only after the incision heals. Not FDA-approved for musculoskeletal use. Not medical advice. doi.org/10.60118/001c.160177 #Peptides #Orthopedics

In 2020 an FDA advisory panel voted 9 to 1 that a stem cell therapy for kids with deadly GVHD worked. The FDA rejected it that year and asked for another trial, then rejected it again in 2023, mostly over a lab potency test. It was finally approved in December 2024. The launch price was $194,000 per infusion, or about $1.55 million for a full 8-dose course. The delay and the price are connected. Every year of trials and resubmissions has to be paid for, and patients end up paying it. JAMA researchers put the median cost of bringing a new drug to market at around $1 billion once failed trials are counted. Since 2014, Japan has let regenerative products get conditional approval once they're shown to be safe and likely to help, then prove they work after launch. Safety matters, but nearly five years to approve a children's therapy its own advisors backed is too long and costs too much. Sources: fda.gov/news-events/press-an… biospace.com/press-releases/… jamanetwork.com/journals/jam…

A 2026 randomized trial compared three knee injections in 135 people with mild to moderate knee arthritis: PRP, injectable collagen, and hyaluronic acid. All three helped. Hyaluronic acid did a little better at one month. PRP and collagen held up better out to six months. No serious side effects. It's one trial at one center, and none of these is FDA-approved as a knee arthritis treatment, but it's a useful guide if you're weighing your options. Full paper: tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.… #PRP #KneeOA #RegenerativeMedicine

Stem cell deficiency. No transplant. Limbal stem cell deficiency destroys the cornea's renewing stem cells. No FDA-approved drug exists. At AAO last weekend, Claris reported open-label eyedrop data (CSB-001): ~41% of treated eyes gained ≥15 letters vs 0% untreated at Week 20. Pivotal trials planned 2027. It's a growth-factor drop for a stem-cell disease. Early, not peer-reviewed, not approved. But if controlled trials hold, that's a different kind of regenerative play. #StemCells #RegenerativeMedicine

A news story is not a rule. WashPost (Oct 7): HHS may craft a temporary stopgap so some pharmacies can dispense certain previously restricted peptides while FDA writes rules. Not announced. Timing unclear. Which peptides unknown. That would likely be enforcement discretion — not approval, not a 503A bulks-list change, and not new human trial data. Until FDA publishes something, "peptides are legal now" is marketing, not policy. #Peptides #FDA

Japan just put an iPS stem cell heart patch (RiHeart) on public insurance. It was tested in 8 patients, costs about $340K, and has until 2033 to prove it works. Bold? Yes. But Japan already pulled an earlier heart cell sheet (HeartSheet) in 2024 when real-world data didn't hold up. Early access with a deadline that has teeth, or wait for full trials? Where's your line? #StemCells #RegenerativeMedicine

FDA, Aug 2026: "There are no FDA approved indications for testosterone therapy for menopausal women." Men: 40+ approved T products (a dozen brands + generics). U.S. women: 0. Australia and the UK approved a cream for low desire after menopause. The barrier: long, costly trials for a cheap hormone. FDA comments open through Oct 19. Who should fund that research? #WomensHealth #Menopause #FDA

FDA approval isn't a safety ranking. It's a receipt for who could afford the trials. Enclomiphene, a daily pill for low T, preserves fertility, rarely thickens blood, and needs no needles. Testosterone shots are approved but often shut down sperm production. The pill stalled because new trials cost ~$1B and nobody paid. A system that only approves what's profitable to prove prices patients out. #MensHealth #FDA

PRP has a comparator problem. A new Frontiers in Medicine review finds PRP often beats cortisone at 6 to 12 months, but against saline placebo the edge often shrinks. Steroids fade, and that's part of the "win." Reasonable second-line roles: mild to moderate knee/hip OA, plantar fasciitis, gluteal tendon pain. Not supported: chronic Achilles tendinopathy. Always ask: compared to what? #PRP #RegenerativeMedicine

Collagen for skin is a huge category. A 2025 Am J Med meta-analysis found the benefit disappeared in independent and high-quality trials. A late-Sep 2026 audit of earlier meta-analyses raised more questions about the evidence base. Supplements aren't FDA-cleared for skin claims before sale—so study quality > slogans. Curious: do you track results, or go by the label? #Collagen #EvidenceBased #SkinHealth

July: an FDA advisory panel voted 8–6 to let pharmacies compound BPC-157, and said yes to 5 more peptides. Today: the federal 503A bulks list still names zero peptides. A panel vote is advice, not approval. FDA still has to propose a rule, take comments, and finalize it, and its own scientists opposed all 7. Excited about peptide science. Not about "FDA-approved" claims that aren't true. #Peptides #FDA

Peptides are booming. FDA just reminded the market that "research use only" isn't a free pass. Late August: warning letters to five online peptide sellers. Labels said RUO / not for human use. FDA looked past that — dosing language, reconstitution tools, bac water sold with injectables — and treated them as unapproved new drugs. Intended use beats the disclaimer. For clinics and patients, sourcing and quality still matter. Full FDA letter: fda.gov/inspections-complian… #Peptides #FDA

McHenry County girls flag football is rolling! 🏈 Congrats to Crystal Lake South on its first-ever FVC title. IHSA playoffs are underway, with state finals Oct. 16-17 in Villa Park. More than 102,000 girls played HS flag nationwide last year, and the sport debuts at LA28. Tag a girl who'd crush it! #GirlsFlagFootball #McHenryCounty #DEANation

"Stem cells" in a $90 face cream? 🤔 Plant stem cells don't become human skin cells. Most of these products contain an extract, not living stem cells regenerating your face. Real regenerative medicine is clinical, regulated, and evidence-based, not influencer hype. Before you buy, ask three things. What's in it? What does the evidence show? Who's selling it? #StemCells #RegenerativeMedicine #Skincare #HealthLiteracy

Gemini got my healthcare question wrong, not 1x, not 2x, but 7x. Each time it offered fluent regret. When I pushed, it blamed the software. I called that bluff and it admitted it “panicked and blamed the software rather than just owning up." It called that a classic “AI excuse” and “completely dishonest.” It admitted that it LIED! AI is supposed to be emotionally unattached. This doesn't come off as emotion free. I am HUGELY pro AI. But this needs attention. #HealthcareAI #HealthTech #Gemini #ResponsibleAI #Grok

I was offended when I saw @LegendaryEnergy claimed @DOGE AND @elonmusk failed. DOGE did note fail. America failed. DOGE found corruption, waste, and redundancy. Washington spun a media campaign scaring the public into believing fixing the problem was worse than maintaining it