Every year, California performs around 100 kidney transplants in children, but, on average, around 50 of these patients will have their bodies reject the transplant. Improving kidney transplant outcomes These children then have to undergo regular dialysis while waiting for a new organ. Even the successful transplants require a lifetime of immunosuppression medications. These medications … Continue reading Making kidney transplants easier for kids and charting a new approach to fighting solid tumors.
Month: November 2022
First, epilepsy patients who received treatment experienced fewer seizures
Nearly 3.5 million Americans live with epilepsy. Symptoms vary widely, from stiff muscles or staring spells to violent shaking and loss of consciousness. The condition’s impact extends far beyond seizures. People with epilepsy face higher rates of depression, social isolation, school and employment challenges, limits on driving, and increased risk of early death. Medication helps … Continue reading First, epilepsy patients who received treatment experienced fewer seizures
A timeless message about stem cells
Dr. Daniel Kota The world of stem cell research is advancing rapidly, with new findings and discoveries seemingly every week. And yet some things that we knew years ago are still every bit as relevant today as they were then. Take, for example, a TEDx talk by Dr. Daniel Kota, a stem cell researcher and the Director, … Continue reading A timeless message about stem cells
Myocarditis in Cancer Patients Is Driven by Specific Immune Cells
In a new study, researchers from UC San Francisco and Vanderbilt University Medical Center have identified specific immune cells that cause a potentially lethal heart inflammation -called myocarditis- in a small fraction of patients treated with powerful cancer immunotherapy drugs. Myocarditis is inflammation of the heart muscle. It can cause chest pain, shortness of breath, … Continue reading Myocarditis in Cancer Patients Is Driven by Specific Immune Cells
Study could on reducing decline in muscle strength as people age
A study by Stanford Medicine researchers in older mice may lead to treatments that help seniors regain muscle strength lost to aging. Muscle stem cells—activated in response to muscle injury to regenerate damaged muscle tissue—lose their potency with age. A study from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey found that 5 percent of adults … Continue reading Study could on reducing decline in muscle strength as people age
Clinical trial for SCID
Dr. Judy Shizuru: Photo courtesy Jasper Therapeutics Over the years, the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) has invested a lot in helping children born with severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID), a fatal immune disorder. And we have seen great results, with some researchers reporting a 95 percent success rate in curing these children. SCID therapy … Continue reading Clinical trial for SCID
Why the future of regenerative medicine depends on students getting a living wage
The headline in the journal Nature was meant to grab attention, and it did. It read: ‘The scandal of researchers paid less than a living wage.’ Poorly paid The rest of the article built on that, saying, “The cost-of-living crisis is a fundamental threat for PhD scholars and early-career researchers. They need to be paid … Continue reading Why the future of regenerative medicine depends on students getting a living wage
Patient Advocacy is its own reward
It’s always nice to be told you are doing a good job. It’s even nicer when it’s unexpected. That’s certainly the case when we, the Communications Team at the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine, found out we’d been named as a finalist for the Patient Advocacy Award (non-profit category) as part of the Phacilitate Advanced … Continue reading Patient Advocacy is its own reward
The doctor who fights vision loss and wildfires
Dennis Clegg, UC Santa Barbara researcher Doctor Dennis Clegg, a researcher and scientist at UC Santa Barbara, is fascinated by the eye. He thinks it's one of nature's most beautiful objects and wonders how something so complex and elegant developed and connects with our brains to make vision possible. That's why he has spent his … Continue reading The doctor who fights vision loss and wildfires