There was a time when having type 1 diabetes was equivalent to a death sentence. Now, thanks to advances in science and medicine, the disease has shifted from deadly to chronic. But this shift, doctors argue, is not good enough. The disease still poses significant health risks, such as blindness and loss of limbs, as … Continue reading Scientists Reach Yet Another Milestone towards Treating Type 1 Diabetes
Author: cirmweb
Policy Matters: Stem Cells and the Public Interest
Guest Author Geoff Lomax is CIRM’s Senior Officer for Medical and Ethical Standards. In the spirit of Stem Cell Awareness Day, Cell Stem Cell has compiled a “Public Interest” collection of articles covering ethical, legal, and social implications of stem cell research and made it freely available. The collection may be found here. The collection … Continue reading Policy Matters: Stem Cells and the Public Interest
These Are the Cells You’re Looking for: Scientists Devise New Way to Extract Bone-Making Stem Cells from Fat
Buried within our fat tissue are stashes of stem cells—a hidden reservoir of cells that, if given the right cues, can transform into cells that make up bone, cartilage or fat. These cells therefore represent a much-needed store for regenerative therapies that rebuild bone or cartilage lost to disease or injury. The only problem with … Continue reading These Are the Cells You’re Looking for: Scientists Devise New Way to Extract Bone-Making Stem Cells from Fat
See You Next Week: 2014 Stem Cell Meeting on the Mesa
Next week marks the fourth annual Stem Cell Meeting on the Mesa (SCMOM) Partnering Forum in La Jolla, California and CIRM , one of the main organizers, hopes to see you there. SCMOM is the first and only meeting organized specifically for the regenerative medicine and cell therapy sectors. The meeting’s unique Partnering Forum brings … Continue reading See You Next Week: 2014 Stem Cell Meeting on the Mesa
Cells’ Knack for Hoarding Proteins Inadvertently Kickstarts the Aging Process
Even cells need to take out the trash in order to maintain a healthy clean environment. And scientists are now uncovering the harmful effects when cells instead begin to hoard their garbage. Aging, on the cellular level is—at its core—the increasing inability for cells to repair themselves over time. As cells begin to break down … Continue reading Cells’ Knack for Hoarding Proteins Inadvertently Kickstarts the Aging Process
New Cellular Tracking Device Tests Ability of Cell-Based Therapies to Reach Intended Destination
Therapies aimed at replacing damaged cells with a fresh, healthy batch hold immense promise—but there remains one major sticking point: once you have injected new, healthy cells into the patient, how do you track them and how do you ensure they do the job for which they were designed? Unfortunately, there’s no easy solution. The … Continue reading New Cellular Tracking Device Tests Ability of Cell-Based Therapies to Reach Intended Destination
Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger: Scientists Work to Create Improved Immune System One Cell at a Time
The human immune system is the body’s best defense against invaders. But even our hardy immune systems can sometimes be outpaced by particularly dangerous bacteria, viruses or other pathogens, or even by cancer. But what if we could give our immune system a boost when it needs it most? Last week scientists at the Salk … Continue reading Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger: Scientists Work to Create Improved Immune System One Cell at a Time
Stories of Hope: Stroke
Six months after surviving a stroke, Sonia Olea wanted to die. Her right leg was weak, her right arm useless. She had trouble speaking and even small tasks were challenging. Just making a phone call was virtually impossible. One morning, she woke up with her arm pinned in an awkward, painful position. After finally repositioning … Continue reading Stories of Hope: Stroke
Stories of Hope: Sickle Cell Disease
This week on The Stem Cellar we feature some of our most inspiring patients and patient advocates as they share, in their own words, their Stories of Hope. Adrienne Shapiro pledged she would give her daughter Marissa the best possible life she could have—wearing herself out if necessary. Her baby girl had sickle cell disease, … Continue reading Stories of Hope: Sickle Cell Disease
Stories of Hope: Spinal Cord Injury
This week on The Stem Cellar we feature some of our most inspiring patients and patient advocates as they share, in their own words, their Stories of Hope. Katie Sharify had six days to decide: would she let her broken body become experimental territory for a revolutionary new approach—even if it was unlikely to do … Continue reading Stories of Hope: Spinal Cord Injury
The Stem Cellar 