Cells becoming neurons (red) in mice lacking FOXO3. Image courtesy of Ashley Webb.Our grantee Anne Brunet at Stanford University has known for a while now that a protein called FOXO3 has something to do with longer lifespan in both lab animals and people. She and members of her lab also knew that FOXO3 is found … Continue reading The key to longer life: a gene that preserves neural stem cells

Virginia Hughes wrote for the July-August issue of Smithsonian about the recent work by our grantee Thea Tlsty, who discovered cells in the adult body that can form all tissue types. (We wrote about that work here.)All previously identified stem cells in adult tissues could only go on to form the cell types found in … Continue reading Smithsonian discusses new stem cells discovered by CIRM grantee Thea Tlsty

In a much-anticipated move, the CIRM Governing Board gave the green light to a concept plan to develop a statewide network of Alpha stem cell clinics at yesterday’s Board meeting. The proposed plan will allocate $70 million to set up five clinics and a central coordinating center. The network will add momentum to the growing … Continue reading CIRM’s Board approves Alpha clinics network to smooth road to stem cell clinical trials

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.A stem cell hide and seek with Vatican financing. One of the hallmarks of good science is the ability of other labs to reproduce the results. … Continue reading Stem cell Stories that caught our eye: Vatican-backed stem cells, epilepsy and stroke.

CIRM Chair Jonathan Thomas presents Dr. Philip Pizzo with a resolution honoring his service It’s never easy to say goodbye to a friend, particularly when it’s someone who has been a part of your organization since the very beginning. But when it’s someone so universally liked as Dr. Philip Pizzo it’s even harder.The stem cell agency’s … Continue reading Hello and Goodbye – new arrivals and heartfelt farewell

Image by Sanford-Burnham Medical Research InstituteToday we bring you a story about proteins that help stem cells decide when they should divide to create more specialized cells. Those same proteins also have a role in cancer. Sound like yesterday’s entry? The difference is that today’s stem cells are in the brain while yesterday’s were in … Continue reading CIRM grantees find network of proteins that control neural stem cells

CIRM grantees at UCSF have made a discovery that helps explain how stem cells in the body keep track of when to make more of themselves and when to produce non-stem cells. This work is important for scientists trying to harness stem cells in the body as disease therapies. Their work involves a protein called … Continue reading Taking a bite of out of stem cell mysteries: a new role for a cancer protein

This photo comes from CIRM Creativity high school intern Jessica Wang. She's spending her summer in the Huiqing Wu lab at City of Hope. You can see more photos from these students by following the Instagram hashtag #CIRMStemCellLab.All photos are also on our website.Amy Adams Read more stem cell research news from the California Institute … Continue reading Featured photo: labware in black and white