Sickle cell blood cells - targets for a new deal2014 is getting off to a very good start for CIRM-funded companies. Today Sangamo BioSciences announced that it has reached agreement on a global collaboration with Biogen Idec, a move that could speed up work to develop cures for both sickle cell disease and Beta-thalassemia.This follows … Continue reading Big deal raises big hopes for treating sickle cell disease and Beta-thalassemia

Using stem cells to make better foodWe all know that what we eat can affect our health – and if we don’t then we really haven’t been paying attention. A poor diet can increase your risk of a host of pretty nasty diseases. Now a company we fund is putting its stem cell research expertise … Continue reading Could stem cell help Nestle develop tastier, healthier food for people battling Alzheimer’s?

We frequently write about using synthetic scaffolds and various biomaterials to coax stem cells to become specific tissues in specific shapes, such as for creating a new windpipe. On the surface, these materials seem like steel beams that provide support for a building but don’t really impact the make-up of the walls they are holding … Continue reading Understanding how stem cells become new bone could make the process more efficient, cheaper

Following the moneyThere is a scene, possibly apocryphal, in the movie "All the President's Men" where a character called "Deep Throat" is advising reporter Bob Woodward from the Washington Post on how to untangle the Watergate scandal: "Follow the money" he says. And they do and next thing you know President Nixon is resigning.Now that … Continue reading New Year’s Resolution – Follow the Money

News to warm the damaged heart The New Year is getting off to a very good start for one of our grantees. Capricor Therapeutics just announced that it has signed a $337.5 million collaboration agreement with Janssen Biotech, a division of pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson.Just a few weeks ago Capricor got approval to move … Continue reading Heartening start to the New Year for stem cell heart therapy

Penn State researchers directly turned a brain support cell into a neuron in a living animal. This finding has therapeutic implications for the many causes of nerve lossEach 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 … Continue reading Guest blogger Alan Trounson — December’s stem cell research highlights

Killer T-cells attacking a foreign cell (Juan Gaertner/Shutterstock) After years of research, now with the right prodding, scientists can transform human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) into virtually any cell type in the body. That’s what makes hESCs such an appealing cell source to repair all sorts of diseases and injuries like heart failure, Parkinson’s disease, … Continue reading Putting the brakes on immune rejection may help accelerate embryonic stem cell-based therapies

What will 2014 bring in stem cell research Predicting the future is always a tricky business, particularly for scientists who like to base anything they do on facts and figures and not just speculation. That’s why when it comes to something like the planets astrologers are more comfortable making predictions than astronomers. And when it comes … Continue reading Looking ahead to the year in stem cell research