Back in October the CIRM Governing Board heard from Victoria Jackson, who, in addition to being a powerful businesswoman in the cosmetics world, founded the Guthy-Jackson Charitable Foundation to drive cures for the rare autoimmune disease NMO (neuromyolitis optica or Devic's disease), which her daughter Ali developed as a teenager. Videos of those NMO talks … Continue reading Funding collaborations to find new therapies
Month: May 2011
German stem cell clinic shut down amidst safety concerns
On Sunday the UK Telegraph reported the closing of a stem cell clinic in Germany that has been the source of international concern. Last year, a clinic offering stem cell cures in Costa Rica was shut down by the country's health ministry.In both cases, the concern came from claims that injected stem cells would cure … Continue reading German stem cell clinic shut down amidst safety concerns
Celebrating National Cancer Research Month with a cancer stem cell round-up
In celebration of National Cancer Research Month, our colleagues at Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute have posted a series of blog entries about cancer research at their institute. The latest installment includes CIRM grantee Robert Wechsler-Reya, who moved to California from Duke University on a CIRM Research Leadership Award.According to their blog:Dr. Robert Wechsler-Reya, who directs … Continue reading Celebrating National Cancer Research Month with a cancer stem cell round-up
How a stem cell forms a neuron
CIRM grantees at Sanford-Burnham have published another paper using an embryonic stem cell model to understand one of the earliest steps in human nervous system development. (We've blogged about their work before here.) The group led by Alexey Terskikh has been trying to understand how a group of cells called the neural crest form nerves, … Continue reading How a stem cell forms a neuron
Guest blogger Roman Reed: spinal cord injury stem cell trials get $25 million boost from CIRM
From the editor: Yesterday the CIRM governing board approved a $25 million loan to help fund a trial testing the use of an embryonic stem cell-derived therapy for spinal cord injury. Here's our press release. Our guest blogger Roman Reed was injured in a football accident and has since fought tirelessly for spinal cord injury … Continue reading Guest blogger Roman Reed: spinal cord injury stem cell trials get $25 million boost from CIRM