Courtesy: Filipe Matos FrazaoFor the third time in as many weeks another company we fund got a very nice financial boost on its way to clinical trials.  The latest news involves ViaCyte, a San Diego-based company that has developed a device to help patients with type 1 diabetes. Over the years we have given ViaCyte … Continue reading Third time is certainly charming – CIRM-funded company gets financial boost

3D image of breast cancer cells It’s one of cell biology’s Catch-22s: To observe a cell’s behavior, researchers often have to expose it to a dye or some other chemical. However, dyes change a cell’s behavior, making the observations less reliable. But now, researchers at the University of Illinois have developed a technique that provides … Continue reading Observing Cells by Leaving them Alone

As a former journalist I’m always fascinated by what stories the media choses to pick up on. Last week was a prime example. When a study was published showing that scientists in the US and Japan had managed to create a new kind of pluripotent stem cell by “shocking” an ordinary cell with acid, the … Continue reading Talking to the "shocking" scientist who made headlines around the world

As a former journalist I’m always fascinated by what stories the media choses to pick up on. Last week was a prime example. When a study was published showing that scientists in the US and Japan had managed to create a new kind of pluripotent stem cell by “shocking” an ordinary cell with acid, the … Continue reading Talking to the “shocking” scientist who made headlines around the world

Bone marrow transplantCan you imagine a world where every man, woman or child who needed a bone marrow transplant could receive one on demand?Bone marrow transplantation is a true success story in the field of regenerative medicine. In this procedure, healthy blood stem cells, or hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), are transferred to a patient with … Continue reading Solving the bone marrow transplant bottleneck – new approaches that could save lives

Blood cells were genetically modified to glow with green fluorecence when they converted to stem cellsHere are some stem cell stories that caught our eye this past week. Some are groundbreaking science, others are of personal interest to us, and still others are just fun. A new type of stem cell and a new moniker: … Continue reading Stem cell stories that caught our eye: caveats on acid-bath stem cells, 3-D printing and lung disease

Can you tell the difference? Embryonic (left) and iPS cells side by side First there were embryonic stem cells. Then came induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells, which start out as adult cells, such as skin cells. Using a variety of methods, scientists can turn these adult cells into iPS cells, which can then be changed … Continue reading Remembrance of things past – how some stem cells remember what they used to be

One of the most amazing parts of working at the stem cell agency is being part of an organization that is helping chart a whole new approach to treating disease and is breaking new ground in the ways it does that. Yesterday’s Board meeting was a perfect example.Our governing Board, the Independent Citizens Oversight Committee … Continue reading Genomics award advances the field and catches the attention of the media

When most people think of Board meetings the usual image is of a fairly dry, business-focused talk around a big table. Clearly those people have never been to a meeting of our Board, the Independent Citizens Oversight Committee (ICOC).They are never dry, or dull, and today’s Board meeting is likely to be even livelier than … Continue reading You won’t be bored at our Board meeting

On the first Monday of every month the stem cell agency staff all gather to talk about some of the most pressing issues facing us. It's a chance to share information and exchange ideas. At a recent meeting one of our legal team, Cynthia Schaffer, used the occasion as the inspiration for this blog. It is … Continue reading A view from the inside: one person’s perspective on the stem cell agency