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.The first section of my report this month focuses on trends spotted at … Continue reading Guest blogger Alan Trounson — June’s stem cell research highlights

Image of striatal neuron (yellow) which is damaged inHuntington's disease (credit: Dr. Steven Finkbeiner)We have written often, most recently last week, about the power of using stem cells reprogrammed from a patient’s skin to recreate the patient’s disease in a dish. You simply take a skin sample, or other tissue sample, and use one of … Continue reading First human cell model for Huntington’s shows value of consortium science

A few weeks ago, David Lesher wrote in the Sacramento Bee that science takes time if you want to make sure the new therapies being developed are safe. He was writing in particular about a CIRM-funded approach to treating HIV/AIDS.None of the research under way will reach patients until long after the 10 years of … Continue reading Texas makes the case for why science should take time

Every once in a while you meet someone who fills you with admiration and just a hint of awe. Matt Austin is one of those people. Matt just turned 22 this week and in a few days he is about to set out on a 1500 mile bicycle ride spanning the east and west coasts. … Continue reading A ride with Matt — cycling for a cure for Huntington’s disease

Lawrence GoldsteinWe’re excited to announce a new video series in which we’ll take questions from you, our readers, and pose them to one of CIRM’s stem cell experts. We’ll then post the video of those answers to our YouTube channel (and here, of course).For our first video we’re focusing on Alzheimer’s disease, with questions being … Continue reading Ask the stem cell expert — Alzheimer’s disease

Clive SvendsenIn the past few years, stem cell researchers have been taking advantage of the ability to create embryonic-like stem cells from skin to develop laboratory models of disease. The idea is simple: first, take skin from someone with a genetic disease (the skin cells will have the same genetic mutation as the cells effected … Continue reading New stem cell findings point to future therapies for spinal musclar atrophy

June 19th has been designated as World Sickle Cell Awareness Day to try and raise public awareness about this disease. So it’s rather appropriate that the Science Daily is carrying a story about a Chicago woman who has been cured of her sickle cell disease using a bone marrow stem cell transplant. Bone marrow transplant … Continue reading Improved way of treating sickle cell disease with stem cells

Legal and policy issues relating to stem cell research continue to make headlines in Europe. On June 15 a coalition of leading funders of biomedical research and patients groups issued a joint statement calling on the European Parliament to continue funding research using embryonic stem cells. Members of this collaboration include CIRM funding partner the … Continue reading Embryonic stem cell funding at a critical moment in EU

This past week several people from CIRM have been in Japan at the yearly meeting of the International Society for Stem Cell Research. These meetings are a great chance to stay current with stem cell science and see where the field is moving. If we’re going to accelerate new therapies, our science officers need to … Continue reading Stem cell meeting of the minds in Yokohama, Japan

Stem cell pioneer Irv Weissman has a rather feisty correspondence in the June 14 issue of Cell Stem Cell in which he takes issue with the many barriers standing in the way of stem cell therapies. His targets include fraudulent stem cell clinics, lack of Food and Drug Administration oversight, private cord blood banks, lack … Continue reading Irv Weissman on the many barriers to stem cell therapies and why they matter