Any business or organizational expert will tell you that the key to success in any enterprise is planning. Without a plan that lays out what you want to do and how you want to do it, you are unlikely to achieve your goals. Given the importance of our goal—finding new disease therapies—it’s especially important that … Continue reading Developing stem cell therapies and spurring economic growth: CIRM’s 2012 strategic plan

One of the top suspects behind killer vascular diseases is the victim of mistaken identity, according to researchers from the University of California, Berkeley, who used genetic tracing to help hunt down the real culprit.So begins a press release from UC Berkeley about the true cellular culprit behind vascular disease. Scientists had long thought that … Continue reading Newly discovered blood vessel stem cells point to new therapies for vascular disease

The Guardian ran a story about stem cell research that could be more or less summed up as follows: It’s started.They profiled Marcus Hilton, who was the first person in the UK to receive a transplant of cells created from human embryonic stem cells. In his case, he received the transplant in his eye as … Continue reading The Guardian sees hope in first human stem cell trials

Who ever knew that a horse named Jim would change the face of medicine? True story. Back in 1901 a serious diphtheria epidemic was sweeping through St. Louis. Back then doctors used antitoxins prepared in horses to treat people with diphtheria. Unfortunately unbeknown to the doctors, Jim, one of the horses they used to create … Continue reading The surprising journey from a horse named Jim to stem cell therapies at UC Davis

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.I devote most of my report this month to four papers that report … Continue reading Guest blogger Alan Trounson — May’s stem cell research highlights

At last week’s board meeting we funded 21 new awards worth $69 million. These were the third round of our recurring Early Translational Awards. (Here’s our press release about those awards.)Going into that governing board meeting, board member Leeza Gibbons wrote about what supporting new research awards means to her:“Every time we consider applications for … Continue reading New stem cell awards bring therapies closer to patients

Over the past few years the stem cell research community has become increasingly concerned that the actions of overseas clinics offering unproven therapies would taint the field as a whole. The International Society for Stem Cell Research has been particularly active in monitoring this phenomenon and has set up a special web site to help … Continue reading With stem cell tourism getting closer to home know the “ISSCR facts”

Emily Krull died from Huntington's disease when she was 21There’s nothing quite like getting out and meeting the people affected by some of the diseases we are working to cure to make you feel both humble and privileged. Humble, because you appreciate how awful these diseases are and the toll they take on individuals and … Continue reading Meeting Huntington’s disease advocates drives search for a cure

San Francisco Magazine has a long story today featuring Timothy Ray Brown—otherwise known as the Berlin patient—who is the first person to be HIV-positive but is now completely free of the virus. His treatment came in the form of a bone marrow transplant, which two projects funded by California’s stem cell agency are now working … Continue reading San Francisco man cured of HIV, CIRM teams replicating the success

When it comes to scientific research one of the most important voices, that of the patient or patient advocate, has often been one of the hardest to hear. But that is changing and CIRM is not only helping lead the way but also helping shape how, when and where those voices are heard. (Our board … Continue reading Bringing patient advocates into decisions about new therapies