Advanced Cell Technology has filed an application with the FDA to begin an early phase trial of an embryonic stem cell-based therapy for macular degeneration. If the company name sounds familiar, that’s because it’s the same company that on November 22 received FDA approval to begin a trial for Stargardt’s macular degeneration. Both trials are … Continue reading ACT files to test embryonic stem cell-based therapy for macular degeneration

This past year has brought a number of advances in creating reprogrammed iPS cells and in directly reprogramming mature cells into a different cell type. With each advance comes the question: Where does this leave embryonic stem cells? And each time, stem cell scientists remind us that the advances are great and could potentially lead … Continue reading A stem cell by any name

The FDA has given the green light to the second trial based on embryonic stem cells — this one for a genetic form of blindness called Stargardt’s Macular Degeneration. The treatment, developed by Advanced Cell Technology, involves replacing the the layer of the retina damaged by the disease, called the retinal pigment epithelium, with new … Continue reading Vision loss trial based on embryonic stem cells begins

There’s been a lot of discussion recently about explaining science to the public, capped by GQ photo shoot featuring scientists and rock stars as part of the Rock Stars of Science campaign. I was happy to see our own Catriona Jamieson of UCSD featured with British singer-songwriter and rapper Jay Sean. According to a story … Continue reading Rock stars of science: making science cool

The L.A. Times gave it’s rodent of the week designation to a mighty mouse produced by University of Colorado, Boulder researchers. The group transplanted muscle stem cells from healthy mice into mice with damaged muscles. Not only did the muscle stem cells spring to action, repairing the damaged muscle, but they maintained the mouse in … Continue reading Mighty mice point to stem cell therapy for muscle diseases and aging

Back in May 2009, CIRM held a workshop in which leading scientists discussed ways in which stem cell research could benefit people with autism (here is the autism workshop report from that meeting). I have two friends with children who are on the spectrum and have seen first-hand the toll the disease takes on the … Continue reading Stem cell model of autism allows testing of new drugs

Nobel Prize winner Stanley Prusiner was one of the authors on a letter to the New York Times on October 27 advocating that congress pass legislation that “would raise the annual federal investment in Alzheimer’s research to $2 billion, and require that the president designate an official whose sole job would be to develop and … Continue reading Nobel prize winner Stanley Prusiner calls for Alzheimer’s disease funding

A story by Nick Wade in Monday’s New York Times rubbed some scientists the wrong way — and I must admit the piece was not too popular around CIRM headquarters. Wade equated research funding with picking stocks. His idea is that a broad portfolio is bound to include some winners (he attributes this approach to … Continue reading Stem cell research like picking stocks? We don’t think so.

Gina Kolata had an interesting piece in today’s New York Times about the difficulty of predicting where the next big biomedical breakthrough will come. She, like many people, had predicted big things for gene therapy. She was wrong. She writes:But was I right to say advances are unpredictable? Yes and no, scientists say. “I’ve learned … Continue reading The next big thing — and how to fund it