Trying to keep tabs on how an organism grows from a single fertilized egg into an embryo, cell by cell, is hard work. So hard in fact, that no one’s quite figured out how to do it. The problem, as researchers have lamented, is that there’s just too much happening—all at the same time—for the … Continue reading A Glimpse Inside the Cellular Universe: Scientists Track the Growth of an Organism, One Cell at a Time
Month: July 2014
Welcome to the Stem Cellar
Today, as we here at CIRM move forward under the leadership of a new President, and as CIRM-funded scientists work on transforming their discoveries into therapies, we thought it was the right time for some much-needed improvements to our blog. We originally launched the blog as a way to share the latest and greatest news, … Continue reading Welcome to the Stem Cellar
Stem cell stories that caught our eye: need for mature fat, Down syndrome, autism and those sweet pup faces
Here are some stem cell stories that caught our eye this past week. Some are groundbreaking science, others are of personal interest to us, and still others are just fun. Embryonic stem cells and that sweet puppy face. Could altered stem cells give our pups those floppy ears and adorable faces? Research from Humboldt University … Continue reading Stem cell stories that caught our eye: need for mature fat, Down syndrome, autism and those sweet pup faces
What was Old is New Again: Scientists Transplant Brain Cells into Aged Mice and Reverse Memory Loss
Alzheimer’s disease starts with small, almost imperceptible steps. And then it builds. Sometimes slowly over a period of decades, other times more quickly—in just a matter of years. But no matter the speed of progression, the end outcome is always the same. The sixth leading cause of death in the United State, Alzheimer’s develops as … Continue reading What was Old is New Again: Scientists Transplant Brain Cells into Aged Mice and Reverse Memory Loss
Stem Cells become Tool to Screen for Drugs; Fight Dangerous Heart Infections.
A Stanford study adds a powerful example to our growing list of diseases that have yielded their secrets to iPS-type stem cells grown in a dish. These “disease-in-a-dish” models have become one of the most rapidly growing areas of stem cell science. But this time they did not start with skin from a patient with … Continue reading Stem Cells become Tool to Screen for Drugs; Fight Dangerous Heart Infections.
Stem Cell Agency Funded Treatment for Type 1 Diabetes Takes a Big Step towards Clinical Trials
Even the best ideas can fail without a lot of support. One of the things we pride ourselves on at the Stem Cell Agency is nurturing really promising ideas for new therapies through sustained funding, giving them the support they need to turn that promise into reality. So it’s very gratifying today to hear that … Continue reading Stem Cell Agency Funded Treatment for Type 1 Diabetes Takes a Big Step towards Clinical Trials
Finding your Inner Rhythm: Cedars-Sinai Cardiologists Create Biological “Pacemakers” in the Heart
If your heart has trouble keeping a steady rhythm, you normally get a pacemaker: a small device that is inserted into your body and attached to your heart. About 300,000 people receive a pacemaker each year. But what if we could harness the body’s own cells to do what an external device does today? In … Continue reading Finding your Inner Rhythm: Cedars-Sinai Cardiologists Create Biological “Pacemakers” in the Heart
Unique Cellular Signal Directs Cells to Gobble Up Toxic Waste; Could Serve as New Weapon to Fight Disease
White blood cells have a lot of work to do. They are our body’s main defense against foreign invaders—and are quite adept at it. Tasked with cleanup duty, they target and destroy cells that have been infected with bacteria, viruses or other harmful, disease-causing pathogens. But as good as they are at their job—they aren’t … Continue reading Unique Cellular Signal Directs Cells to Gobble Up Toxic Waste; Could Serve as New Weapon to Fight Disease
Clever Stem Cells Withstand Chemo Drug’s Harmful Side Effects
For some conditions, it seem that the treatment can cause almost as many problems as than the disease itself. That’s often the case with some forms of cancer, such as acute lymphoblastic leukemia. The most common type of cancer to affect children, treatment usually involves chemotherapy with the drug methotrexate (MTX). And, while effective at … Continue reading Clever Stem Cells Withstand Chemo Drug’s Harmful Side Effects
Stem Cell Stories that Caught our Eye: Gene Rx, New and Rejuvenated Blood Stem Cells and Budget Cuts
Here are some stem cell stories that caught our eye this past week. Some are groundbreaking science, others are of personal interest to us, and still others are just fun. Tinkering with stem cell genes safe. Research at the Salk Institute provides some reassurance that using gene-editing techniques to correct disease-causing mutations in stem cells … Continue reading Stem Cell Stories that Caught our Eye: Gene Rx, New and Rejuvenated Blood Stem Cells and Budget Cuts
The Stem Cellar 