Each month CIRM President Alan Trounson gives his perspective on recently published papers he thinks will be valuable in moving the field of stem cell research forward. This month’s report, along with an archive of past reports, is available on the CIRM website.I devote most of my report this month to four papers that report … Continue reading Guest blogger Alan Trounson — May’s stem cell research highlights

At last week’s board meeting we funded 21 new awards worth $69 million. These were the third round of our recurring Early Translational Awards. (Here’s our press release about those awards.)Going into that governing board meeting, board member Leeza Gibbons wrote about what supporting new research awards means to her:“Every time we consider applications for … Continue reading New stem cell awards bring therapies closer to patients

Over the past few years the stem cell research community has become increasingly concerned that the actions of overseas clinics offering unproven therapies would taint the field as a whole. The International Society for Stem Cell Research has been particularly active in monitoring this phenomenon and has set up a special web site to help … Continue reading With stem cell tourism getting closer to home know the “ISSCR facts”

Emily Krull died from Huntington's disease when she was 21There’s nothing quite like getting out and meeting the people affected by some of the diseases we are working to cure to make you feel both humble and privileged. Humble, because you appreciate how awful these diseases are and the toll they take on individuals and … Continue reading Meeting Huntington’s disease advocates drives search for a cure

San Francisco Magazine has a long story today featuring Timothy Ray Brown—otherwise known as the Berlin patient—who is the first person to be HIV-positive but is now completely free of the virus. His treatment came in the form of a bone marrow transplant, which two projects funded by California’s stem cell agency are now working … Continue reading San Francisco man cured of HIV, CIRM teams replicating the success

When it comes to scientific research one of the most important voices, that of the patient or patient advocate, has often been one of the hardest to hear. But that is changing and CIRM is not only helping lead the way but also helping shape how, when and where those voices are heard. (Our board … Continue reading Bringing patient advocates into decisions about new therapies

If it seems like we write a lot about our Bridges trainees, it’s because they keep doing interesting things. These students, mostly from community colleges and California State University campuses, get opportunities to take classes in stem cell biology and carry out research in stem cell labs at partner institutions. Sarah Imam, a CSUN Bridges … Continue reading Gaining stem cell research experience, changing lives

By Assemblymember Nancy Skinner (D-Berkeley) Assemblymember Nancy Skinner (D-Berkeley)For a person struggling with a life-altering diagnosis, the click of a button can connect patients and their families to cutting edge research. Coupled with the advice of a doctor, access to online libraries such as PubMedCentral, which provides access to federally-funded biomedical research, can provide patients … Continue reading Assemblymember Nancy Skinner: CIRM to Adopt Public Access Policy for Publications

Julie Saba grew up with a father who was a muscle biochemist and, out of rebellion, she swore she’d never go into research, especially muscle research. She was just going to be a doctor. A doctor who, years later, did run a research lab, but in cancer. Then, when studying a particularly interesting gene involved … Continue reading Gene found to activate muscle stem cells in mice with muscular dystrophy

Muscular dystrophy is a particularly tragic—and lethal—disease that currently has no effective therapy. But researchers at the University of Minnesota have made some progress in using stem cells to treat a form of muscular dystrophy in mice. Muscular dystrophy can occur in adults but is most common in children and causes the person’s muscles to … Continue reading Stem cells used to treat muscular dystrophy in mice