THIS BLOG IS ALSO AVAILABLE AS AN AUDIO CAST Members of NFOSD visiting UC Davis in 2013 At the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) we are fortunate in having enough money to fund the most promising research to be tested in a clinical trial. Those are expensive projects, often costing tens of millions of … Continue reading The power of the patient advocate: how a quick visit led to an $11M grant to fund a clinical trial
Month: May 2022
The California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) awards $5.8 million for prostate cancer research to USC
The American Cancer Society estimates that this year in the United States, there will be 268,490 new cases of prostate cancer. It also estimates that 34,500 men will die from the cancer in 2022. Other than skin cancer, prostate cancer is the most common cancer in American men. These stark statistics are why the California … Continue reading The California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) awards $5.8 million for prostate cancer research to USC
Marathon effort to raise awareness about Huntington’s disease
The COVID pandemic put a lot of things on hold over the last two years. But thanks to the vaccine and boosters more and more people are feeling comfortable about getting out and about again. Case in point, the Orange County Marathon was held for the first time in two years on Sunday, May 1st. … Continue reading Marathon effort to raise awareness about Huntington’s disease
Replacement brain cells offer hope for Parkinson’s treatment
A colony of iPSCs from a Parkinson's patient (left) and dopaminergic neurons made from these iPSCs (right) to model PD. (Image credit: Jeanne Loring) A new study that used adult blood stem cells to create replacement brain nerve cells appears to help rats with Parkinson’s. In Parkinson’s, the disease attacks brain nerve cells that produce … Continue reading Replacement brain cells offer hope for Parkinson’s treatment
And we’re back!
You may have noticed last week that the official CIRM website and our beloved Stem Cellar blog were offline for a few days. While we received some fun theories about the outage from our readers (we were not “hacked”, and it was not a ransomware attack), the explanation is much more technical: CIRM’s websites experienced … Continue reading And we’re back!
Google eases ban on ads for stem cell therapies
What started out as an effort by Google to crack down on predatory stem cell clinics advertising bogus therapies seems to be getting diluted. Now the concern is whether that will make it easier for these clinics to lure unsuspecting patients to pay good money for bad treatments? A little background might help here. For … Continue reading Google eases ban on ads for stem cell therapies
Smoking marijuana could be bad for your heart, but there is an unusual remedy
THIS BLOG IS ALSO AVAILABLE AS AN AUDIO CAST Smoking medical marijuana: Photo courtesy Elsa Olofsson Millions of Americans use marijuana for medical reasons, such as reducing anxiety or helping ease the side effects of cancer therapy. Millions more turn to it for recreational reasons, saying it helps them relax. Now a new study says … Continue reading Smoking marijuana could be bad for your heart, but there is an unusual remedy
IBSC directors bring in nearly $12 million to fund the future of bimolecular research at UC Santa Cruz
THIS BLOG IS ALSO AVAILABLE AS AN AUDIO CAST Left to right: Lindsay Hinck and Camilla Forsberg UC Santa Cruz professors Camilla Forsberg and Lindsay Hinck are not only pushing boundaries in their field as the female-led program directors of the Institute for the Biology of Stem Cells (IBSC), they’ve also been looking for ways … Continue reading IBSC directors bring in nearly $12 million to fund the future of bimolecular research at UC Santa Cruz
Study shows sleep deprivation impairs stem cells in the cornea
We spend around one third of our life sleeping—or at least we should. Not getting enough sleep can have serious consequences on many aspects of our health and has been linked to high blood pressure, heart disease and stroke. A study by the American Sleep Apnea Association found that some 70 percent of Americans report getting … Continue reading Study shows sleep deprivation impairs stem cells in the cornea
It’s hard to be modest when people keep telling you how good you are
THIS BLOG IS ALSO AVAILABLE AS AN AUDIO CAST I have a confession. Deep down I’m shallow. So when something I am part of is acknowledged as one of the best, I delight in it (my fellow bloggers Katie and Esteban also delight in it, I am just more shameless about letting everyone know.) And … Continue reading It’s hard to be modest when people keep telling you how good you are
The Stem Cellar 