Some of the stars of our Annual Report It’s been a long time coming. Eighteen months to be precise. Which is a peculiarly long time for an Annual Report. The world is certainly a very different place today than when we started, and yet our core mission hasn’t changed at all, except to spring into … Continue reading Perseverance: from theory to therapy. Our story over the last year – and a half
Author: Kevin McCormack
A new voice and vision added to CIRM Board
UC Davis School of Medicine Dean, Dr. Allison Brashear: Photo courtesy UCD We have a new member on the CIRM Board – Dr. Allison Brashear is the Dean of the UC Davis School of Medicine, overseeing one of the nation’s top research, academic and medical training institutions. Dr. Brashear is an internationally known researcher in … Continue reading A new voice and vision added to CIRM Board
Celebrating a life that almost didn’t happen
Evie Vaccaro You can’t look at this photo and not smile. This is Evie Vaccaro, and it’s clear she is just bursting with energy and vitality. Sometimes it feels like I have known Evie all her life. In a way I have. And I feel so fortunate to have done so, and that’s why this … Continue reading Celebrating a life that almost didn’t happen
Encouraging news for treatment targeting retinitis pigmentosa
While most people probably wouldn’t put 2020 in their list of favorite years, it’s certainly turning out to be a good one for jCyte. Earlier this year jCyte entered into a partnership with global ophthalmology company Santen Pharmaceuticals worth up to $252 million. Then earlier this week they announced some encouraging results from their Phase … Continue reading Encouraging news for treatment targeting retinitis pigmentosa
Using mini lungs to test potential COVID-19 therapies
Dr. Evan Snyder If someone told you they were working on lungs in a dish you might be forgiven for thinking that’s the worst idea for a new recipe you have ever heard of. But in the case of Dr. Evan Snyder and his team at Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute it could be … Continue reading Using mini lungs to test potential COVID-19 therapies
Cord blood transplants help children fighting deadly diseases
Dr. Paul Szabolcs: Photo courtesy of UPMC A simple blood stem cell transplant is showing tremendous promise in treating a wide range of metabolic, blood and immune disorders such as thalassemia and some leukodystrophies. These are considered rare diseases – meaning there are fewer than 200,000 people with them in the US – so there … Continue reading Cord blood transplants help children fighting deadly diseases
Lab-grown human sperm cells could unlock treatments for infertility
Dr. Miles Wilkinson: Photo courtesy UCSD Out of 100 couples in the US, around 12 or 13 will have trouble starting a family. In one third of those cases the problem is male infertility (one third is female infertility and the other third is a combination of factors). In the past treatment options for men … Continue reading Lab-grown human sperm cells could unlock treatments for infertility
Four teaspoons could save a life
Sometimes it’s the smallest things that make the biggest difference. In the case of a clinical trial that CIRM is funding, all it takes to be part of it is four teaspoons of blood. The clinical trial is being run by Dr. John Zaia and his team at the City of Hope in Duarte, near … Continue reading Four teaspoons could save a life
Saying farewell to an old friend
There are some people who, when you think of them, always bring a smile to your face. Dr. Bert Lubin was one of those people. Sadly, we lost Bert to brain cancer two days ago. But the impact he had, not just as an advocate for stem cell research but as a pioneer in sickle … Continue reading Saying farewell to an old friend
You never forget your first
Jake Javier: Photo Michael Clemens "Sees the Day" Photography Now that we have 64 clinical trials that we have funded (plus a few dozen more where we supported the early stage research) it’s sometimes hard to remember the details of each trial. But there is one you never forget. The very first clinical trial you … Continue reading You never forget your first
The Stem Cellar 