The size of the crowd at the ARM briefing is a measure of the growth of the industryIt’s an auspicious start to the week when you begin your day at a conference and one of the first lines you hear from the podium is: “This industry is ready for prime time.” In this case, the … Continue reading State of the industry briefing shows a field coming of age, ready to start benefiting patients.

A stem cell treatment for TB? A report this week from Sweden suggests yes.Here 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. Artificial bone marrow. Stem cell transplants using cells originating in bone marrow have … Continue reading Stem cell stories that caught our eye: a tool toward safer bone marrow transplants, Parkinson’s and a Spinal cord clinical trial.

Jackie Ward is a stem cell researcher at U.C. San Diego. She recently came across something that caused her to pause and think about her responsibilities as a scientist. It's an issue that most scientists have to face at some point or other in their careers. This is her storyAmong the multiple cat pictures that … Continue reading A stem cell researcher’s dilemma, to tell or not to tell

Adrienne ShapiroEarlier today Sangamo Biosciences announced it had reached a collaborative agreement with Biogen Idec, something that could help speed up development of a cure for sickle cell disease. That can't come soon enough for Adrienne Shapiro, a Patient Advocate and mother of a daughter with sickle cell disease. In this guest blog Adrienne talks … Continue reading The Last Generation – a mother’s hope for her daughter

Sickle cell blood cells - targets for a new deal2014 is getting off to a very good start for CIRM-funded companies. Today Sangamo BioSciences announced that it has reached agreement on a global collaboration with Biogen Idec, a move that could speed up work to develop cures for both sickle cell disease and Beta-thalassemia.This follows … Continue reading Big deal raises big hopes for treating sickle cell disease and Beta-thalassemia

Using stem cells to make better foodWe all know that what we eat can affect our health – and if we don’t then we really haven’t been paying attention. A poor diet can increase your risk of a host of pretty nasty diseases. Now a company we fund is putting its stem cell research expertise … Continue reading Could stem cell help Nestle develop tastier, healthier food for people battling Alzheimer’s?

We frequently write about using synthetic scaffolds and various biomaterials to coax stem cells to become specific tissues in specific shapes, such as for creating a new windpipe. On the surface, these materials seem like steel beams that provide support for a building but don’t really impact the make-up of the walls they are holding … Continue reading Understanding how stem cells become new bone could make the process more efficient, cheaper

Following the moneyThere is a scene, possibly apocryphal, in the movie "All the President's Men" where a character called "Deep Throat" is advising reporter Bob Woodward from the Washington Post on how to untangle the Watergate scandal: "Follow the money" he says. And they do and next thing you know President Nixon is resigning.Now that … Continue reading New Year’s Resolution – Follow the Money

News to warm the damaged heart The New Year is getting off to a very good start for one of our grantees. Capricor Therapeutics just announced that it has signed a $337.5 million collaboration agreement with Janssen Biotech, a division of pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson.Just a few weeks ago Capricor got approval to move … Continue reading Heartening start to the New Year for stem cell heart therapy

Penn State researchers directly turned a brain support cell into a neuron in a living animal. This finding has therapeutic implications for the many causes of nerve lossEach month CIRM President Alan Trounson gives his perspective on recently published papers he thinks will be valuable in moving the field of stem cell research forward. This … Continue reading Guest blogger Alan Trounson — December’s stem cell research highlights