Biomedical technician Louis Pinedo feeds stem cells their special diet. Photo by Cedars-Sinai. With Thanksgiving and Black Friday approaching in the next couple of days, we wanted to give thanks to all the scientists hard at work during this holiday weekend. Science does not sleep--the groundbreaking research and experiments that are being conducted do not … Continue reading What to be thankful for this Thanksgiving: scientists hard at work
Month: November 2019
The Most Important Gift of All
Photo courtesy American Hospital Association There are many players who have a key role in helping make a stem cell therapy work. The scientists who develop the therapy, the medical team who deliver it and funders like CIRM who provide the money to make this all happen. But vital as they are, in some therapies … Continue reading The Most Important Gift of All
Machine learning used to pattern stem cells – a vital step in organ modeling
Gladstone researchers discovered a method to control the patterns stem cells form in a dish. The work was led by Senior Investigator Todd McDevitt (left) and his team, including (pictured) David Joy and Ashley Libby. When someone thinks of machine learning, the first thing that comes to mind might be the technology used by Netflix … Continue reading Machine learning used to pattern stem cells – a vital step in organ modeling
Good news for two CIRM-supported therapies
Jake Javier, a patient in the spinal cord injury stem cell therapy clinical trial It’s always satisfying to see two projects you have supported for a long time do well. That’s particularly true when the projects in question are targeting conditions that have no other effective therapies. This week we learned that a clinical trial … Continue reading Good news for two CIRM-supported therapies
What is IPEX syndrome? A deeper dive into a CIRM funded award
Brian Lookofsky (left) and his son Taylor Lookofsky (right) at the CIRM Board meeting on October 31, 2019. Taylor is living with IPEX syndrome. Last week we shared a powerful story of patient advocate Taylor Lookofsky, a young man with IPEX syndrome. In his speech, he talked about the impact the condition has had on … Continue reading What is IPEX syndrome? A deeper dive into a CIRM funded award
What would you like to know about stem cell research? This is your chance to ask the experts.
There’s a lot of fiction, a lot of misinformation surrounding stem cells and stem cell research. There are claims that are not based on solid science and clinics that are offering so-called “treatments” that are unproven, even dangerous for patients. Now you have a chance to talk to the experts in the field and get … Continue reading What would you like to know about stem cell research? This is your chance to ask the experts.
Transplanted stem cells used to grow fully functional lungs in mice
Illustration of a human lung According to organ donation statistics from the Health Resources & Services Administration, over 113,000 men, women, and children are on the national transplant waiting list as of July 2019. Another person is added to the waiting list every 10 minutes and 20 people die each day waiting for a transplant. … Continue reading Transplanted stem cells used to grow fully functional lungs in mice
The challenges of living with IPEX
Last week the CIRM Board awarded $5.53 million to Dr. Rosa Bacchetta at Stanford to complete the work necessary to conduct a clinical trial for IPEX syndrome. This is a rare disease caused by mutations in the FOXP3 gene which leaves people with the condition vulnerable to immune system attacks on their organs and tissues. … Continue reading The challenges of living with IPEX
CIRM Board Awards $15.8 Million to Four Translational Research Projects
Last week, the CIRM Board approved $32.92 million in awards directed towards four new clinical trials in vision related diseases and Parkinson's Disease. In addition to these awards, the Board also approved investing $15.80 million in four awards in the Translational Research program. The goal of this program is to help promising projects complete the … Continue reading CIRM Board Awards $15.8 Million to Four Translational Research Projects
Using film to break down barriers around rare disease
You can read about a disease or hear someone talking about it and be engaged and interested. But when you see and hear the people who have the disease talking about it and the impact it has on their lives, that's when a profound impact occurs. When you look into their eyes and hear them … Continue reading Using film to break down barriers around rare disease