There’s a saying, a picture is worth a thousand words. With complicated science however, pictures don’t always do these topics justice. Here’s where videos come to the rescue. Today’s topic is type 1 diabetes and a CIRM-funded clinical trial headed by the San Diego company ViaCyte hoping to develop a cure for patients with this disease. Instead of writing an entire … Continue reading Type 1 Diabetes Trial Explained Whiteboard Video Style
Month: November 2015
CIRM’s clinical trial portfolio: Two teams tackle blindness, macular degeneration and retinitis pigmentosa
More than seven million people in the US struggle to see. While most are not completely blind they have difficulty with, or simply can’t do, daily tasks most of us take for granted. CIRM has committed more than $100 million to 17 projects trying to solve this unmet medical need. Two of those projects have … Continue reading CIRM’s clinical trial portfolio: Two teams tackle blindness, macular degeneration and retinitis pigmentosa
Eyeing Stem Cell Therapies for Vision Loss
Back by popular demand (well, at least a handful of you demanded it!) we’re pleased to present the third installment of our Stem Cells in Your Face video series. Episodes one and two set out to explain – in a light-hearted, engaging and clear way – the latest progress in CIRM-funded stem cell research related … Continue reading Eyeing Stem Cell Therapies for Vision Loss
Stem cell stories that caught our eye: making vocal cords, understanding our brain and the age of donor cells matters
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. Tissue engineered vocal cords. A report from the University of Wisconsin that researchers there had grown new vocal cords got quite a bit of play … Continue reading Stem cell stories that caught our eye: making vocal cords, understanding our brain and the age of donor cells matters
Stem cells could offer hope for deadly childhood muscle wasting disease
Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a particularly nasty rare and fatal disease. It predominantly affects boys, slowly robbing them of their ability to control their muscles. By 10 years of age, boys with DMD start to lose the ability to walk; by 12, most need a wheelchair to get around. Eventually they become paralyzed, and … Continue reading Stem cells could offer hope for deadly childhood muscle wasting disease
New type of diabetes caused by old age may be treatable
I’m going to tell you a secret: I love sugar. I love it so much that as a little kid my mom used to tell me scary stories about how my teeth would fall out and that I might get diabetes one day if I ate too many sweets. Thankfully, none of these things happened. … Continue reading New type of diabetes caused by old age may be treatable
A Fishy Tale: A gene that blocks regeneration in fish blocks cancer in humans
Evolution is a fascinating thing. Over time, the human race has evolved from cavemen to a bustling civilization fueled by technology, science, and economics. While we’ve gained many abilities that separate us from other mammals and our closest ancestors, the apes, we’ve also lost a number of skills along the way. One of them is … Continue reading A Fishy Tale: A gene that blocks regeneration in fish blocks cancer in humans
A scientific conference we can all enjoy
Scientific conferences are fascinating events. You get a chance to mingle with some of the leading researchers and thinkers in the field, and to learn about the latest advances. But, to be honest, for those of us who don’t have a scientific background, they can also be a little bit intimidating. That’s where the World … Continue reading A scientific conference we can all enjoy
Stem cell stories that caught our eye: three teams refine cell reprogramming, also stem cell tourism
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. Why stem cells in the lab don’t grow up right. A classic cartoon among stem cell fans shows a stem cell telling a daughter cell … Continue reading Stem cell stories that caught our eye: three teams refine cell reprogramming, also stem cell tourism
Stem cells without the risk of tumors
An unregulated stem cell treatment in 2001 led to tumor growth in the (A) brainstem and (B) spinal cord of the patient four years later. (Fig 1. PLoS Med. 2009 Feb 17;6(2):e1000029) Back in 2001, an Israeli boy suffering from Ataxia Telangiectasia, a genetic brain disease that affects movement, traveled to Russia for an unregulated … Continue reading Stem cells without the risk of tumors