Having a mission like CIRM’s, which calls on us to develop therapies for unmet medical needs, clearly means we cannot sit back and marvel at all the great projects we have in the pipeline. We have to deliver commercial products available to all patients in need. And that cannot be done without additional investors. The … Continue reading Conference provides critical connections between clinical projects and investors
Month: March 2015
Heartfelt award for brilliant young researcher
It can begin in so many different ways: a pain in the jaw, a sore neck, nausea, or more typically a crushing pain to the chest. But regardless of how it starts, surviving a heart attack is always devastating with the loss of as many as one billion heart cells and permanent damage to the … Continue reading Heartfelt award for brilliant young researcher
Stem cell stories that caught our eye; drug screening, aging stem cells in brain repair and blood diseases
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. Heart-on-a-chip used to screen drugs. With CIRM funding, a team at the University of California, Berkeley, has used stem cell technology to create a virtual … Continue reading Stem cell stories that caught our eye; drug screening, aging stem cells in brain repair and blood diseases
Pathway discovered that could yield therapies to prevent hearts turning to “bone”
In the Rolling Stones’ lyrics having a “Heart of Stone” protected you from heartbreak. But over a million Americans are developing hearts of bone and it could kill them. CIRM-funded researchers at the Gladstone Institutes think they have uncovered the path to this destructive hardening of the heart and that could lead to therapies to … Continue reading Pathway discovered that could yield therapies to prevent hearts turning to “bone”
Avoiding drug trial tragedies: new stem cell-based test predicts dangerous drug toxicity
In 2006 Ryan Wilson, a healthy 20 year old Londoner, volunteered for a first-in-human clinical trial to help test the safety of a new drug, TGN1412, intended to treat rheumatoid arthritis and leukemia. The cash he’d get in exchange for his time would help fund his upcoming vacation. Instead, he nearly died. Even though the … Continue reading Avoiding drug trial tragedies: new stem cell-based test predicts dangerous drug toxicity
I Sing the Bioelectric: Long-Distance Electrical Signals Guide Cell Growth and Repair
Genes turn on, and genes turn off. Again and again, the genes that together comprise the human genome receive electrical signals that can direct when they should be active—and when they should be dormant. This intricate pattern of signals is a part of what guides an embryonic stem cell to grow and mature into any … Continue reading I Sing the Bioelectric: Long-Distance Electrical Signals Guide Cell Growth and Repair
Pioneer’s 25-year struggle to treat blindness
Being a pioneer is never easy. You are charting unknown territory, tackling problems that have defeated others before you. You have to overcome so many obstacles that at times the challenge can seem insurmountable. But for those who succeed in reaching their goal, the rewards can be extraordinary. Last month Italian researcher Graziella Pellegrini saw … Continue reading Pioneer’s 25-year struggle to treat blindness
Stem cell stories that caught our eye; Parkinson’s, drug boosts stem cells in MS and gender equity in science
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. Stem cells survive and aid Parkinson’s in monkey. Ole Isacson, a pioneer in the effort to figure out how to use stem cells to treat … Continue reading Stem cell stories that caught our eye; Parkinson’s, drug boosts stem cells in MS and gender equity in science
Cartilage Repair using Embryonic Stem Cells: A Promising Path to Treating Millions of Osteoarthritis Sufferers
Bone scraping on bone — you can practically feel the excruciating pain just thinking about it. Sadly, that’s what happens to people suffering with osteoarthritis (OA), a degenerative joint disease. Except for joint replacement surgery, no cure exists and the available medicines only work on the symptoms, pain and swelling, and not the underlying cause. … Continue reading Cartilage Repair using Embryonic Stem Cells: A Promising Path to Treating Millions of Osteoarthritis Sufferers
One-Time, Lasting Treatment for Sickle Cell Disease May be on Horizon, According to New CIRM-Funded Study
For the nearly 1,000 babies born each year in the United States with sickle cell disease, a painful and arduous road awaits them. The only cure is to find a bone marrow donor—an exceedingly rare proposition. Instead, the standard treatment for this inherited blood disorder is regular blood transfusions, with repeated hospitalizations to deal with … Continue reading One-Time, Lasting Treatment for Sickle Cell Disease May be on Horizon, According to New CIRM-Funded Study
The Stem Cellar 