When babies are born they’re somewhat protected from infections through antibodies that were transferred to them in the womb. However, as time passes and immune systems develop their bodies start to learn how to combat infections on their own. For some children this process is seamless, but for others, it can be a sensitive time … Continue reading Mustang Bio picks up CIRM supported ‘bubble boy’ gene therapy
Month: August 2018
Regenerative Medicine by the numbers: a snapshot of how the field is progressing
Statistics don’t usually make for very exciting blog fodder, but they can be useful in charting progress. Case in point, the recent quarterly report from the Alliance for Regenerative Medicine (ARM), a global advocate and industry group for the field. In the report ARM takes an in-depth look at cell therapy, gene therapy, tissue engineering … Continue reading Regenerative Medicine by the numbers: a snapshot of how the field is progressing
Join us for our next installment of “Ask The Stem Cell Team” on August 28th.
What do football, jazz and acting have in common? They all happen to be the greatest accomplishments of some of the well-known celebrities who suffer from, and who have been vocal advocates for, Sickle Cell disease (SCD). While most people wouldn’t readily identify Tiki Barber, Miles Davis or Larenz Tate as carriers of the HBB … Continue reading Join us for our next installment of “Ask The Stem Cell Team” on August 28th.
Stem Cell Roundup: Knowing the nose, stem cell stress and cell fate math.
The Stem Cellar’s Image of the Week. Our favorite image this week, comes to us from researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. Looking like a psychedelic Rorschach test, the fluorescence microscopy depicts mouse olfactory epithelium (in green), a sheet of tissue that develops in the nose. The team identified a new … Continue reading Stem Cell Roundup: Knowing the nose, stem cell stress and cell fate math.
New Study on Humans Shows Promise for Sepsis Therapy
A new study published in STEM CELLS, conducted by researchers at the University of Amsterdam, shows how mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) can restore the health and improve the function of the immune system, which could benefit the treatment of sepsis. Sepsis is a life-threatening complication from an infection that can lead to multiple organ failure. … Continue reading New Study on Humans Shows Promise for Sepsis Therapy
Stem cell summer: high school students document internships via social media, Part 1
My fellow CIRM team members and I just got back from two days in Sacramento where we attended one of our favorite annual events: the CIRM SPARK Student Conference. SPARK, which is short for Summer Program to Accelerate Regenerative medicine Knowledge, is a CIRM-funded education program that offers California High School students an invaluable opportunity … Continue reading Stem cell summer: high school students document internships via social media, Part 1
Blood stem cell expansion expands treatment options for cancer patients
Bone marrow transplants have been used for decades to treat various types of cancers such as leukemia and multiple myeloma, as well as other blood disorders such as anemia. Our bone marrow is responsible for making hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), which develop into mature blood cells, like white cells (which fight infection) and red cells … Continue reading Blood stem cell expansion expands treatment options for cancer patients
What makes an expert an expert?
When we launched our Facebook Live “Ask the Expert” series earlier this year we wanted to create an opportunity for people to hear from and question experts about specific diseases or disorders. The experts we turned to were medical ones, neurologists and neuroscientists in the case of the first two Facebook Live events, stroke and … Continue reading What makes an expert an expert?
Stem Cell Roundup: Clinical Trial on the Horizon for Parkinson’s Disease, New Probe Targets Tricky Cancer Cells – Rare Brain Disease May Be Key to Alzheimer’s Insights
Stem Cell Image of the Week: This week's image shows dopamine producing brain cells. These are the cells that are depleted in people with Parkinson's Disease. Parkinson’s disease news: a new clinical trial, a new face of the disease (Kevin McCormack) In his long and illustrious career Alan Alda has worn many hats. First as the … Continue reading Stem Cell Roundup: Clinical Trial on the Horizon for Parkinson’s Disease, New Probe Targets Tricky Cancer Cells – Rare Brain Disease May Be Key to Alzheimer’s Insights
The Five Types of Stem Cells
When I give an “Intro to Stem Cells” presentation to, say, high school students or to a local Rotary Club, I begin by explaining that there are three main types of stem cells: (1) embryonic stem cells (ESCs) (2) adult stem cells and (3) induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). Well, like most things in science, … Continue reading The Five Types of Stem Cells
The Stem Cellar 