iPS cells (taken by Kathrin Plath, UCLA)Today we revisit the ongoing saga of how best to create iPS cells. When last we visited the Confusing (and ongoing) story of iPS vs. embryonic stem cells it was spring 2011, and several papers had just come out revealing both pros and cons of working with iPS cells. … Continue reading How a skin cells becomes an iPS cell revealed

Francisco PrietoPatient advocates are an integral part of everything we do here at the stem cell agency, helping shape every aspect of our work, from the way we operate to the research we fund. One of the current patient advocates on our board is Dr. Francisco Prieto, and he has just written a wonderful article … Continue reading Francisco Prieto: California’s investment in stem cell research gives patients a reason to hope

Geoff Lomax is CIRM's Senior Officer to the Standards Working Group Lifespan from 1990 to 2008 for groups of women, from The New York TimesThe New York Times recently reported new evidence that life expectancy among some groups has fallen by and average of four years since 1990. There is perhaps no more poignant measure … Continue reading Lifespan drops in some groups: points to need for better prevention, new therapies

Cynthia Schaffer is Contract Administrator and Compliance Officer at CIRM One of the roles CIRM plays is in collaborating with outside groups to help our grantees get the information they need to move their possible therapies into clinical trials. That includes working closely with both the Food and Drug Adminstration (FDA) and the Alliance for … Continue reading CIRM translating research into therapies: Collaborating with the FDA and industry

It’s not often that a TV cartoon show that is described as “Sick, twisted and politically incorrect” makes an interesting observation about stem cell research. But then, The Family Guy is not a typical TV show. It describes itself a show about how “a dysfunctional Rhode Island family strive to cope with everyday life as … Continue reading “Family guy” in favor of stem cell research

It’s not often that a TV cartoon show that is described as “Sick, twisted and politically incorrect” makes an interesting observation about stem cell research. But then, The Family Guy is not a typical TV show. It describes itself a show about how “a dysfunctional Rhode Island family strive to cope with everyday life as … Continue reading "Family guy" in favor of stem cell research

As summer winds down and school starts back up, some of the students are returning with high-tech stories about what they did this summer. Nine institutions in California hosted high school students to carry out stem cell research for the summer. (We blogged recently about an end-of-program meeting for those students.)We’re really excited about the … Continue reading CIRM stem cell research interns: the high school musical

Over the past three days the New York Times has been running a fascinating series of stories on regenerative medicine and the use of stem cells to treat a number of serious medical conditions from a cancerous windpipe to a leg shattered by a Taliban bomb. It’s a interesting glimpse into the hope and promise … Continue reading New intestines for babies, new muscles for soldiers

Vanessa Lupian and her Mother Veronica discuss Vanessa's liver transplantImagine browsing a restaurant menu and all you see is a list of toxins that can cause constant vomiting, hallucinations, emergency dialysis treatment, brain damage, and even death. That was the predicament of 13 year old Vanessa Lupian who spoke, along with her mother Veronica, to … Continue reading Liver transplant saves girl’s life, but not everyone can get one: stem cell-derived liver cells to the rescue?

Mark TuszynskiI have friends who are paralyzed so I admit to being biased when I read about promising research to repair the spinal cord. I’d like to see my friends walk, or, at least have more movement. The ability to simply hug their kids would be life-changing. Today, there’s a new paper published by a … Continue reading stem cells partially repair spinal cord injuries in rats