A new Nature paper from CIRM grantees at Stanford University once again shows the value of reprogrammed iPS cells in understanding disease. Scientists can't develop a therapy for a disease if they don't know what it is going wrong. In many cases, iPS cells have provided the first ever way of peering into diseased cells … Continue reading iPS cells reveal stem cell origin of disease

A press release about CIRM grantees at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies contains what might be the truest words in stem cell science:In principle, genetic engineering is simple, but in practice, replacing a faulty gene with a healthy copy is anything but.Several CIRM grantees could sum up their work in that same way. We've … Continue reading Gene replacement in stem cells made easier

California State University Long Beach has a nice story today about their students funded by our Bridges to Stem Cell Research program. Mostly, CIRM funds science. But in order for that science to move forward we also need to make sure the state has enough trained stem cell scientists. What's the point of fostering new … Continue reading Funding students, fueling stem cell science

Michael J. Fox has an excellent — and somewhat pointed — Op-Ed in today's San Francisco Chronicle in which he points out that if people want cures, they need to participate in research. He says:Today, America is waiting expectantly for a new generation of scientific breakthroughs - in cancer, AIDS, Alzheimer's disease and, of course, … Continue reading Clinical trial participation essential

I'm thrilled to have a legitimate reason to blog about the lowly planeria. This little flat worm is renowned amongst high school and freshman biology students for it's ability to regrow copies of itself when cut in half. In theory, slicing right between the planeria's eyes can even produce a two-headed worm, though that's one … Continue reading From the just plain cool files

Pity the iPS cell -- it's had quite a ride this year. On the upside, cells reprogrammed from people with autism, Parkinson's disease and schizophrenia were used to create the first ever models of those diseases in a dish. Those models could provide a way of testing drugs on actual human cells. That's good.But in … Continue reading iPS cell smack down

Scientists at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston have reported that they identified a stem cell in lung. The work was published in the May 12 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.In the popular press you often read that adult stem cells exist in all the tissues of the body. This is likely … Continue reading Lung stem cell found, controversy ensues

Back in October the CIRM Governing Board heard from Victoria Jackson, who, in addition to being a powerful businesswoman in the cosmetics world, founded the Guthy-Jackson Charitable Foundation to drive cures for the rare autoimmune disease NMO (neuromyolitis optica or Devic's disease), which her daughter Ali developed as a teenager. Videos of those NMO talks … Continue reading Funding collaborations to find new therapies