CIRM-funded research at Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute in San Diego is identifying compounds that could be used to help children battling a deadly brain cancer. The cancer is choroid plexus carcinoma (CPC), a rare brain tumor that occurs mainly in children. As it grows the tumor can affect nearby parts of the brain … Continue reading New model unlocks clues to treating deadly childhood cancer
Month: March 2019
Old cells need not apply: how a stem cell’s age can impact potential treatments
Getting older is a normal, at times existential, part of life. The outward changes are abundant and noticeable: thinning of the hair, greying of the hair, and added lines to the face. There are also changes that happen that are not so abundantly clear in terms of outward appearance: slowing of healing time for bone … Continue reading Old cells need not apply: how a stem cell’s age can impact potential treatments
Targeting clinics offering bogus stem cell therapies
For some years now CIRM has been raising the alarm about the growing numbers of clinics offering unproven and unapproved stem cell therapies. But we are not alone. Now a leader of the California state Assembly is taking action, trying to ensure the clinics follow the law and don’t endanger patients. Kevin Mullin is the … Continue reading Targeting clinics offering bogus stem cell therapies
Organoids revolutionize approach to studying a variety of diseases
Organoids There are limitations to studying cells under a microscope. To understand some of the more complex processes, it is critical to see how these cells behave in an environment that is similar to conditions in the body. The production of organoids has revolutionized this approach. Organoids are three-dimensional structures derived from stem cells that … Continue reading Organoids revolutionize approach to studying a variety of diseases
Stem Cell Agency Awards Almost $4 Million to Develop a Treatment for Spinal Degeneration
Today the governing Board of the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) awarded $3.9 million to Ankasa Regenerative Therapeutics for a promising approach to treat a degenerative condition that can cause chronic, progressive back pain. As we get older, the bones, joints and ligaments in our back become weak and less able to hold the … Continue reading Stem Cell Agency Awards Almost $4 Million to Develop a Treatment for Spinal Degeneration
Rats, research and the road to new therapies
Don Reed Don Reed has been a champion of CIRM even before there was a CIRM. He's a pioneer in pushing for funding for stem cell research and now he's working hard to raise awareness about the difference that funding is making. In a recent article on Daily Kos, Don highlighted one of the less … Continue reading Rats, research and the road to new therapies
Newly developed biosensor can target leukemic stem cells
Dr. Michael Milyavsky (left) and his research student Muhammad Yassin (right). Image courtesy of Tel Aviv University. Every three minutes, one person in the United States is diagnosed with a blood cancer, which amounts to over 175,000 people every year. Every nine minutes, one person in the United States dies from a blood cancer, which … Continue reading Newly developed biosensor can target leukemic stem cells
Facebook Live – Ask the Stem Cell Team about Patient Advocacy
How often do you get to ask an expert a question about something that matters deeply to you and get an answer right away? Not very often I'm guessing. That's why CIRM's Facebook Live "Ask the Stem Cell Team About Patient Advocacy" gives you a chance to do just that this Thursday, March 14th from … Continue reading Facebook Live – Ask the Stem Cell Team about Patient Advocacy
Of Mice and Men, and Women Too; Stem cell stories you might have missed
Mice brains can teach us a lot Last week’s news headlines were dominated by one big story, the use of a stem cell transplant to effectively cure a person of HIV. But there were other stories that, while not quite as striking, did also highlight how the field is advancing. A new way to boost … Continue reading Of Mice and Men, and Women Too; Stem cell stories you might have missed
Stem cell byproducts provide insight into cure for spina bifida
A diagram of an infant born with spina bifida, a birth defect where there is an incomplete closing of the backbone portion of the spinal cord. Photo courtesy of the Texas Children's Hospital website. Some of you might remember a movie in the early 2000s by the name of "Miracle in Lane 2". The film … Continue reading Stem cell byproducts provide insight into cure for spina bifida
The Stem Cellar 