Induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells reprogrammed from human skinWhen I read about stem cells in the news it is often frustrating to see all stem cells lumped together as if they are the same. It gives the impression that what one stem cell can do, all can do. In fact, different types of stem cells … Continue reading Confused about the many types of stem cells? Read on…

Ebony Flowers, a Bridges student at California State University, Long Beach, talks about her stem cell research with other students“I had never done any work or research in a lab before this, but I loved it from the very first moment. It gives me hope that this is something I can do for the rest … Continue reading Bridges students start stem cell research careers

We might be a little biased here but at the stem cell agency we consider stem cell research an important part of the future of medicine. So it’s no surprise that we consider our Bridges students an important part of the future of that research. The CIRM Bridges to Stem Cell Research Awards fund courses … Continue reading Bridge to the future – creating the next generation of researchers

A colony of iPS cells, courtesy of Kathrin Plath at the University of California, Los Angeles.Yesterday was an exciting day at CIRM headquarters, especially for some of our science officers who have been hard at work putting together a new three-part funding initiative. We posted those requests for applications yesterday and expect to start receiving … Continue reading New funding initiative will speed disease research

One of the goals of the stem cell agency is to bring promising therapies into clinical trials, to see if what works in the laboratory can work in people. It’s exciting but challenging work and, like all good science, it takes time. That’s why the news this week from Dr. Eduardo Marban at Cedars-Sinai Heart … Continue reading New approach to healing hearts gets approved for clinical trial

We recently blogged about a Houston Chronicle story revealing a troublesome Food and Drug Administration review of the Texas company Celltex Therapeutics. This is the company that treated Texas Gov. Rick Perry last year. And in previous posts we’ve written about concerns surrounding stem cell tourism – in which unregulated companies overseas promote unproven stem … Continue reading On stem cell clinics, clinical trials, and the pace of progress

A colony of iPS cells, courtesy of Kathrin Plath at the University of California, Los Angeles.There’s a lot of talk these days about studying diseases and finding new drugs using stem cells. The idea is so compelling that CIRM has entered into a partnership with the NIH to create the kinds of cell banks that … Continue reading Parkinson’s neurons susceptible to toxins, preventible with some drugs stem cell studies show

CIRM president Alan Trouson has been in Sydney, Australia at the International Nanomedicine Conference learning about how nanotechnology might benefit stem cell researchers trying to develop new disease therapies.Nanotechnology is, essentially, the study of really small materials. In nanomedicine, those really small materials are put to use to treat patients. Tiny particles can ferry drugs … Continue reading Alan Trounson discusses nanomedicine and progress toward stem cell therapies

CIRM grantee Paul Knoepfler of UC Davis has been blogging about stem cell science. As part of his interest in drumming up public engagement in science he recently held a stem cell essay contest and has posted the two winners to his blog.In the 18 and under category he received an interesting and thoughtful piece … Continue reading Stem cell essays pose questions about self and point to new uses for stem cells

Each 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 month’s report, along with an archive of past reports, is available on the CIRM website.The first section of my report this month focuses on trends spotted at … Continue reading Guest blogger Alan Trounson — June’s stem cell research highlights