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 heal diabetic foot ulcers in pilot study Foot ulcers are one of the many long-term complications that diabetics face. About 15 percent of … Continue reading Stem cell stories that caught our eye: healing diabetic ulcers, new spinal cord injury insights & an expanding CRISPR toolbox
Month: September 2016
A Patient Advocate’s Take on Sickle Cell Disease: The Pain and the Promise
September is National Sickle Cell Awareness Month. First officially recognized by the federal government in 1983, National Sickle Cell Awareness Month calls attention to sickle cell disease (SCD), a genetic disease that researchers estimate affects between 90,000 and 100,000 Americans. CIRM is funding a clinical trial focused on curing the disease with a stem cell-based … Continue reading A Patient Advocate’s Take on Sickle Cell Disease: The Pain and the Promise
Gene required for sperm stem cells linked to male infertility, UCSD study suggests
Even in this day and age, when a couple is having trouble conceiving a child, it’s often the woman who is initially suspected of having infertility problems and is likely the first to seek out the advice of doctor. But according to Miles Wilkinson, professor of reproductive medicine at UC San Diego School of Medicine, … Continue reading Gene required for sperm stem cells linked to male infertility, UCSD study suggests
Stem Cell Experts Discuss the Ethical Implications of Translating iPSCs to the Clinic
Part of The Stem Cellar blog series on 10 years of iPSCs. This year, scientists are celebrating the 10-year anniversary of Shinya Yamanaka’s Nobel Prize winning discovery of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). These are cells that are very similar biologically to embryonic stem cells and can develop into any cell in the body. iPSCs … Continue reading Stem Cell Experts Discuss the Ethical Implications of Translating iPSCs to the Clinic
Full Steam Ahead: First Patient is Dosed in Expanded CIRM Spinal Cord Injury Trial
Today we bring you more good news about a CIRM-funded clinical trial for spinal cord injury that’s received a lot of attention lately in the news. Asterias Biotherapeutics has treated its first patient in an expanded patient population of spinal cord injury patients who suffer from cervical, or neck, injuries. In late August, Asterias reported … Continue reading Full Steam Ahead: First Patient is Dosed in Expanded CIRM Spinal Cord Injury Trial
Stem cell stories that caught our eye: two studies of the heart and cool stem cell art
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. Understanding Heart Defects. Healthy heart tissue is made up of smooth, solid muscle, which is essential for normal heart function. Patients with a heart defect … Continue reading Stem cell stories that caught our eye: two studies of the heart and cool stem cell art
Funding stem cell research targeting a rare and life-threatening disease in children
If you have never heard of cystinosis you should consider yourself fortunate. It’s a rare condition caused by an inherited genetic mutation. It hits early and it hits hard. Children with cystinosis are usually diagnosed before age 2 and are in end-stage kidney failure by the time they are 9. If that’s not bad enough … Continue reading Funding stem cell research targeting a rare and life-threatening disease in children
Science and Improv: Spotlight on CIRM Bridges Scholar Jill Tsai
As part of our CIRM scholar series, we’re featuring the research and career accomplishments of CIRM funded students. What do science and improv have in common? The answer is not a whole lot. However, I recently met a talented student from our CIRM Bridges master’s program who one day is going to change this. Meet … Continue reading Science and Improv: Spotlight on CIRM Bridges Scholar Jill Tsai
Faulty fat stem cells & obesity-related diabetes
You see it in the news all the time: more and more people around the world are obese and as a result they’re at a higher risk for diabetes, heart disease and cancer. In fact, 90% of individuals with type 2 diabetes are overweight or obese. “Healthy” obese individuals protected from diabetes and other complications … Continue reading Faulty fat stem cells & obesity-related diabetes
CIRM Grantees Reflect on Ten Years of iPS Cells
For the fourth entry for our “Ten Years of Induced Pluripotent Stem (iPS) Cells” series, which we’ve been posting all month, I reached out to three of our CIRM grantees to get their perspectives on the impact of iPSC technology on their research and the regenerative medicine field as a whole: Step back in time … Continue reading CIRM Grantees Reflect on Ten Years of iPS Cells
The Stem Cellar 