Cancer immunotherapies harness the power of the patient’s own immune system to fight cancer. One type of immunotherapy, called adoptive T cell therapy, uses immune cells called CD8+ Killer T cells to target and destroy tumors. These T cells are made in the spleen and lymph nodes and they can migrate to different locations in … Continue reading Scientists find switch that targets immunotherapies to solid tumors
Month: December 2017
Stem Cell Stories that Caught our Eye: Mini-Brains in the Spotlight
Here are the stem cell stories that caught our eye this week. Two research photos really caught my eye this week and they happened to be of the same thing – mini-brains. Also referred to as brain organoids, mini-brains are tiny balls of nervous tissue grown from stem cells in the lab. They allow scientists … Continue reading Stem Cell Stories that Caught our Eye: Mini-Brains in the Spotlight
CIRM interviews Lorenz Studer: 2017 recipient of the Ogawa-Yamanaka Stem Cell Prize [Video]
For eight long years, researchers who were trying to develop a stem cell-based therapy for Parkinson’s disease – an incurable movement disorder marked by uncontrollable shaking, body stiffness and difficulty walking – found themselves lost in the proverbial wilderness. In initial studies, rodent stem cells were successfully coaxed to specialize into dopamine-producing nerve cells, the … Continue reading CIRM interviews Lorenz Studer: 2017 recipient of the Ogawa-Yamanaka Stem Cell Prize [Video]
CIRM-Funded Research Makes Multiple Headlines this Week
When it rains it pours. This week, multiple CIRM-funded studies appeared in the news, highlighting the exciting progress our Agency is making towards funding innovative stem cell research and promoting the development of promising stem cell therapies for patients. Below are highlights. Fate Therapeutics Partners with UC San Diego to Develop Cancer Immunotherapy Last week, … Continue reading CIRM-Funded Research Makes Multiple Headlines this Week
Comparing two cellular reprogramming methods from one donor’s cells yields good news for iPSCs
In 2012, a mere six years after his discovery of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), Shinya Yamanaka was awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine. Many Nobel winners aren’t recognized until decades after their initial groundbreaking studies. That goes to show you the importance of Yamanaka’s technique, which can reprogram a person’s cells, for example skin … Continue reading Comparing two cellular reprogramming methods from one donor’s cells yields good news for iPSCs
Hey, what’s the big idea? CIRM Board is putting up more than $16.4 million to find out
When you have a life-changing, life-threatening disease, medical research never moves as quickly as you want to find a new treatment. Sometimes, as in the case of Parkinson’s disease, it doesn’t seem to move at all. At our Board meeting last week David Higgins, our Board member and Patient Advocate for Parkinson’s disease, made that … Continue reading Hey, what’s the big idea? CIRM Board is putting up more than $16.4 million to find out
Stem Cell Stories That Caught our Eye: Stem Cell Therapies for Stroke and Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy Patients
With the Thanksgiving holiday behind us, we’re back to the grind at CIRM. Here are two exciting CIRM-funded stem cell stories that happened while you were away. Stanford Scientists Are Treating Stroke Patients with Stem Cells Smithsonian Magazine featured the work of a CIRM-funded scientist in their December Magazine issue. The article, “A Neurosurgeon’s Remarkable … Continue reading Stem Cell Stories That Caught our Eye: Stem Cell Therapies for Stroke and Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy Patients
The Stem Cellar 