Identifying a Potential New Stem Cell Treatment for Ovarian Cancer

The California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) has awarded $5.3 million to Karen Aboody, MD, of City of Hope for late‑stage preclinical work on a neural stem‑cell‑based treatment for chemo‑resistant metastatic ovarian cancer. About 22,000 women in the U.S. are diagnosed with ovarian cancer each year. More than 70 percent are late‑stage with abdominal metastases, … Continue reading Identifying a Potential New Stem Cell Treatment for Ovarian Cancer

Advancing Clinical Research for a CAR T-Cell Therapy for Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE), Autoimmune Diseases

Symptoms of lupus may include pain or swelling in the joints, extreme fatigue, a butterfly rash on the cheeks and nose, and more. CIRM awarded $7.9 million to Barbara Hickingbottom, MD, of Fate Therapeutics to advance FT819, an iPSC‑derived CD19 CAR T‑cell therapy for systemic lupus erythematosus. SLE is a debilitating autoimmune disease affecting more … Continue reading Advancing Clinical Research for a CAR T-Cell Therapy for Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE), Autoimmune Diseases

CIRM Funds Parkinson’s Disease Research

Stock image of Parkinson's disease nerve cells. The California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) approved an $8 million award to Aspen Neuroscience to advance a stem‑cell‑derived dopaminergic neuron therapy for Parkinson’s disease. This personalized therapy is being tested in a first‑in‑human Phase 1/2a trial for people with moderate to advanced PD. More than one million … Continue reading CIRM Funds Parkinson’s Disease Research

Former CIRM Bridges Intern Receives Rising Black Scientist Award

Photo Credit: California State University, San Marcos. Cal State San Marcos student Kevin Brown Jr., a former CIRM Bridges intern, has won the Rising Black Scientist Award from Cell Press, Cell Signaling Technology, and the Elsevier Foundation. Brown was selected from more than 350 applicants across multiple scientific fields. Applicants were asked to share their … Continue reading Former CIRM Bridges Intern Receives Rising Black Scientist Award

CIRM celebrates landmark 100+ clinical trial awards 

Photo credit: Barbara Ries for UCSF, Jaquell Chandler, and OHSU/Christine Torres Hicks  CIRM, California’s Stem Cell Agency, reached a major milestone by funding its 100th clinical trial. At the February ICOC meeting, the board approved five new trials in Parkinson’s disease, autoimmune disorders, cancers, and other conditions, bringing the total to 103. Jon Thomas thanked … Continue reading CIRM celebrates landmark 100+ clinical trial awards 

CIRM Awards $21.3 Million for Shared Labs

Shared resources, including state-of-the art lab equipment and expertise, foster collaboration (above). Photo courtesy of UCLA Broad Stem Cell Research Center.  The California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) CIRM has approved $21.3 million to create a network of Shared Resources Laboratories for stem‑cell‑based modeling. These laboratories are a key part of CIRM’s Infrastructure Program, which … Continue reading CIRM Awards $21.3 Million for Shared Labs