It’s good to have a backup plan Our lungs are amazing things. They take in the air we breathe and move it into our blood so that oxygen can be carried to every part of our body. They’re also surprisingly large. If you were to spread out a lung – and I have no idea … Continue reading Stem Cell Roundup: Backup cells to repair damaged lungs; your unique bowels; and California Cures, 71 ways CIRM is changing the face of medicine
Month: April 2018
Stem cell study holds out promise for kidney disease
Image via youtube.com Kidney failure deserves far more attention. About 660,000 Americans live with kidney failure, and roughly 47,000 die from it each year. That death toll exceeds the number of people who die from breast or prostate cancer. A new study has identified a promising stem cell candidate. This discovery could help researchers develop … Continue reading Stem cell study holds out promise for kidney disease
CIRM-Funded Research on World Parkinson’s Day
We’re featuring the work of CIRM-Funded Research on World Parkinson's Day that is focuses on promising ideas to treat patients with this debilitating neurodegenerative disease. CIRM Grant: Quest Award – Discovery Stage Research Birgitt Schuele, Parkinson’s Institute Research: Birgitt is part of a team at the Parkinson’s Institute in Sunnyvale, California. They are using CRISPR … Continue reading CIRM-Funded Research on World Parkinson’s Day
Gladstone researchers tame toxic protein that carries increased Alzheimer’s risk
With a clinical trial failure rate of 99% over the past 15 years or so, the path to a cure for Alzheimer’s disease is riddled with disappointment. In many cases, candidate therapies looked very promising in pre-clinical animal studies, only to flop when tested in people. Now, a CIRM-funded Nature Medicine study by researchers at … Continue reading Gladstone researchers tame toxic protein that carries increased Alzheimer’s risk
The moment of truth. A video about the stem cell therapy that could help millions of people going blind.
“No matter how much one prepares, the first patient is always something very special.” That’s how Dr. Mark Humayun describes his feelings as he prepared to deliver a CIRM-funded stem cell therapy to help someone going blind from dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Humayun, an ophthalmologist and stem cell researcher at USC, spent years developing … Continue reading The moment of truth. A video about the stem cell therapy that could help millions of people going blind.
CIRM’s Industry Alliance Program: Facilitating Partnerships to Advance Stem Cell Therapies
Some things are better together. Take, for instance, macaroni and cheese, eggs and bacon, cookies and ice cream. Each is fine on its own, but together they become something more powerful and delicious. Industry Alliance Program The right partnerships can bring out the best in things. At CIRM, we fully embrace this concept. That’s why … Continue reading CIRM’s Industry Alliance Program: Facilitating Partnerships to Advance Stem Cell Therapies
Encouraging news about CIRM-funded clinical trial targeting vision loss
Dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of vision loss in the U.S. By 2020 it’s estimated that as many as three million Americans will be affected by the disease. Right now, there is no effective therapy. But that could change. A new CIRM-funded clinical trial is showing promise in helping people battling … Continue reading Encouraging news about CIRM-funded clinical trial targeting vision loss
UC Davis researchers make stem cell-derived mini-brains that contain blood vessels
Growing neurons on a flat petri dish is a great way to study the inner workings of nerve signals in the brain. But I think it's safe to argue that a two-dimensional lawn of cells doesn’t capture all the complexity of our intricate, cauliflower-shaped brains. Then again, cracking open the skulls of living patients is … Continue reading UC Davis researchers make stem cell-derived mini-brains that contain blood vessels