Poster for the documentary "Ending Disease" 2020 has been, to say the very least, a difficult and challenging year for all of us. But while the focus of the world has, understandably, been on the coronavirus there was also some really promising advances in stem cell research. Those advances are captured in a great new … Continue reading Inspiring new documentary about stem cell research
Month: December 2020
Stem cell research reveals path to schizophrenia
3d illustration of brain nerve cells - Photo courtesy Science Photo If you don’t know what’s causing a problem it’s hard to come up with a good way to fix it. Mental health is the perfect example. With a physical illness you can see what the problem is, through blood tests or x-rays, and develop … Continue reading Stem cell research reveals path to schizophrenia
“Mini-brains” model an autism spectrum disorder and help test treatments
Alysson Muotri, PhD, professor and director of the Stem Cell Program at UC San Diego School of Medicine and member of the Sanford Consortium for Regenerative Medicine. Image credit: UC San Diego Health Rett syndrome is a rare form of autism spectrum disorder that impairs brain development and causes problems with movement, speech, and even … Continue reading “Mini-brains” model an autism spectrum disorder and help test treatments
Persistence pays off in search for clue to heart defects
A team of scientists led by Benoit Bruneau (left), including Irfan Kathiriya (center) and Kavitha Rao (right), make inroads into understanding what genes are improperly deployed in some cases of congenital heart disease. Photo courtesy Gladstone Institute For more than 20 years Dr. Benoit Bruneau has been trying to identify the causes of congenital heart … Continue reading Persistence pays off in search for clue to heart defects
Holiday Message
CIRM-funded study discovers potential therapy for one of the leading causes of heart disease
Dr. Deepak Srivastava and his team found a drug candidate that could help prevent tens of thousands of heart surgeries every year. Image Credit: Gladstones Institute According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), heart disease is the leading cause of death for men, women, and people of most racial and ethnic groups in the United … Continue reading CIRM-funded study discovers potential therapy for one of the leading causes of heart disease
CIRM-Funded Project Targeting Sickle Cell Disease Gets Green Light for Clinical Trial
Dr. Matthew Porteus The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted Investigational New Drug (IND) permission enabling Graphite Bio to test the investigational, potentially revolutionary gene editing therapy GPH101 developed under the supervision of Matthew Porteus, MD, PhD, in a clinical trial for people with sickle cell disease (SCD). The California Institute for Regenerative … Continue reading CIRM-Funded Project Targeting Sickle Cell Disease Gets Green Light for Clinical Trial
Making a good thing better
Thomas Edison Legend has it that Thomas Edison “failed” 1,000 times before he managed to create the incandescent lightbulb. Edison says he didn’t get discouraged, instead he looked at each unsuccessful experiment as being one step closer to finding the method that really worked. That’s a lesson in optimism and persistence for all of us. … Continue reading Making a good thing better
UCLA scientists discover how SARS-CoV-2 causes multiple organ failure in mice
Heart muscle cells in an uninfected mouse (left) and a mouse infected with SARS-CoV-2 (right) with mitochondria seen in pink. The disorganization of the cells and mitochondria in the image at right is associated with irregular heartbeat and death. Image credit: UCLA Broad Stem Cell Center As the worldwide coronavirus pandemic rages on, scientists are trying … Continue reading UCLA scientists discover how SARS-CoV-2 causes multiple organ failure in mice
Positive results from CIRM-funded LAD-I trial presented at the 62nd American Society of Hematology Annual Meeting
Gaurav Shah, M.D., CEO and President of Rocket Pharmaceuticals Leukocyte Adhesion Deficiency-I (LAD-I) is a rare pediatric disease caused by a mutation in a specific gene that causes low levels of a protein called CD18. Due to low levels of CD18, the adhesion of immune cells is affected, which negatively impacts the body’s ability to … Continue reading Positive results from CIRM-funded LAD-I trial presented at the 62nd American Society of Hematology Annual Meeting
The Stem Cellar 