A new study suggests that the relationship between patient advocacy groups and pharmaceutical companies, particularly those carrying out clinical trials, is hitting a bit of a rough patch. And that could have big consequences for both parties. In the past, patients and patient advocacy groups were very much an afterthought when it came to planning … Continue reading Do patient advocacy groups and pharmaceutical companies need marriage counseling?
Month: June 2015
Stem cell stories that caught our eye: Parkinson’s trial revived, aspirin kills cancer stem cells and a stem cell role in mother-child obesity
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. Parkinson’s clinical trials back on track. After nearly 20 years of being stuck on the clinical trial “bookshelf”, an international team from Cambridge, UK revived … Continue reading Stem cell stories that caught our eye: Parkinson’s trial revived, aspirin kills cancer stem cells and a stem cell role in mother-child obesity
Alliance for Regenerative Medicine Advocates for Science
I spent the past two days at the annual Washington meeting of the Alliance for Regenerative Medicine (ARM), the advocacy organization that CIRM helped found in 2009. Advocating in DC I represented CIRM at that first organizing meeting, so it has been a pleasure to watch ARM grow into an effective advocate for our field. … Continue reading Alliance for Regenerative Medicine Advocates for Science
Hey, don’t throw out that kidney – I can use it
Researchers at the Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine have come up with what may be the ultimate in recycling programs. They want to take old, discarded kidneys and, using stem cells, turn them into healthy, functioning kidneys for transplant patients. Well, that’s the ultimate goal. They’ve still got a way to go, but they’re … Continue reading Hey, don’t throw out that kidney – I can use it
Building a Bridge to Therapies: Stem Cell-Derived Neurons Restore Feeling to Injured Limbs
It’s been a great week for spinal cord injury-related stem cell research – and it’s only Tuesday. In case you missed it, Asterias Biotherapeutics announced yesterday that they had treated their first clinical trial participant with an embryonic stem cell-based therapy for complete spinal cord injury. “Complete” refers to injuries that cause a total loss … Continue reading Building a Bridge to Therapies: Stem Cell-Derived Neurons Restore Feeling to Injured Limbs
Stem cell therapy for spinal cord injury back on track
When Geron decided, in 2010, to halt the first ever clinical trial of stem cells for spinal cord injury it was a disappointment to many people, particularly for those with spinal cord injuries (SCI) who were hoping it might help them. But now that therapy is back, and the company behind it this time, Asterias … Continue reading Stem cell therapy for spinal cord injury back on track
Stem cell stories that caught our eye: regenerating limbs on scaffolds, self regeneration via a drug, mood stem cells, CRISPR
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. Regenerating a limb, or at least part of it. Many teams have generated organs or parts of organs in animals by starting with a dead … Continue reading Stem cell stories that caught our eye: regenerating limbs on scaffolds, self regeneration via a drug, mood stem cells, CRISPR
Desperate patients and false hope: a troubling trend for stem cell-based therapies
A gambler’s odds are usually stacked against them but the possibility, however slim, of hitting the jackpot keeps bringing them back to the table. Now imagine, unbeknownst to them, the system is rigged so there’s a zero percent chance of any winnings. They’d essentially be giving their money away based on a false hope. Sadly, … Continue reading Desperate patients and false hope: a troubling trend for stem cell-based therapies
One man’s story points to hope against a deadly skin cancer
One of the great privileges and pleasures of working at the stem cell agency is the chance to meet and work with some remarkable people, such as my colleagues here at CIRM and the researchers we support. But for me the most humbling, and by far the most rewarding experience, is having a chance to … Continue reading One man’s story points to hope against a deadly skin cancer
Genes+Cells: Stem cells deliver genes to make T cells resistant to HIV
This summer the first patients will be enrolled in a clinical trial using a form of genetic scissors to alter the DNA in their stem cells to give their immune systems a desired trait—resistance to HIV. The procedure will alter the patients’ blood-forming stem cells so that they can permanently make immune system T cells … Continue reading Genes+Cells: Stem cells deliver genes to make T cells resistant to HIV