A doctor collects fat from a patient's back as part of an experimental stem cell procedure in Beverly Hills, Calif. on Dec. 5, 2014. (Raquel Maria Dillon / Associated Press) For several years now, we have been trying to raise awareness about the risks posed by clinics offering unproven or unapproved stem cell therapies. At … Continue reading Media shine a spotlight on dodgy stem cell clinics
Author: Kevin McCormack
A Bridge to the future for stem cell students
One of the programs people here at CIRM love is our Bridges to Stem Cell Research Awards. These are given to undergraduate and master's level college students, to train the next generation of stem cell scientists. How good a program is it? It's terrific. You don't have to take my word for it. Just read … Continue reading A Bridge to the future for stem cell students
Rare disease gets go-ahead to run clinical trial
Cystinosis is one of those diseases most people have never heard of and should be very grateful they haven't. It's rare - affecting only around 500 children and young adults in the US and just 2,000 people worldwide - but it's nasty. Up to now the treatments for it have been very limited. But a … Continue reading Rare disease gets go-ahead to run clinical trial
Frustration, failure and finally hope in the search for treatments for spina bifida
By any standards Dr. Diana Farmer is a determined woman who doesn’t let setbacks and failure deter her. As a fetal and neonatal surgeon, and the chair of the Department of Surgery at UC Davis Health, Dr. Farmer has spent years trying to develop a cure for spina bifida. She’s getting closer. Dr. Farmer and … Continue reading Frustration, failure and finally hope in the search for treatments for spina bifida
Stem Cells make the cover of National Geographic
National Geographic is one of those iconic magazines that everyone knows about but few people read. Which is a shame, because it's been around since 1888 and has helped make generations of readers aware about the world around them. And now, it's shifting gears and helping people know more about the world inside them. That's … Continue reading Stem Cells make the cover of National Geographic
Performance, Passion and Progress: and that’s just page one of our 2018 Annual Report
It’s hard to sum up the activities and achievements of a year in a single document, let alone one that’s just 24 pages. But that’s what we have done in putting together our 2018 Annual Report. It’s a look back at the year just gone, the highlights, the low lights (spoiler alert – there weren’t … Continue reading Performance, Passion and Progress: and that’s just page one of our 2018 Annual Report
By the numbers – a look at how the field of Regenerative Medicine is growing
The Golden State Warriors, the current US basketball champions – and your favorite Stem Cell Agency’s neighbors in Oakland – have a slogan, “Strength in Numbers”. That could well apply to the field of Regenerative Medicine because the field is growing in numbers, growing in strength, and growing in influence. Yesterday, the Alliance for Regenerative … Continue reading By the numbers – a look at how the field of Regenerative Medicine is growing
The power of one voice: David Higgins’ role in advancing stem cell research
As we start a new year, we are fine tuning our soon-to-be-published 2018 Annual Report, summarizing our work over the past 12 months. The report is far more than just a collection of statistics about how many clinical trials we are funding (50 – not too shabby eh!) or that our support has generated an … Continue reading The power of one voice: David Higgins’ role in advancing stem cell research
The most popular Stem Cellar posts of 2018
You never know when you write something if people are going to read it. Sometimes you wonder if anyone is going to read it. So, it’s always fun, and educational, to look back at the end of the year and see which pieces got the most eyeballs. It isn’t always the ones you think will … Continue reading The most popular Stem Cellar posts of 2018
It’s not goodbye to Dr. Bert Lubin, it’s au revoir
Dr. Bert Lubin has been a fixture at UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital Oakland long before it was even called that. When he started there 43 years ago it was just a small community hospital and through his commitment to helping those in need he has helped build it into a remarkable institution. Over the years … Continue reading It’s not goodbye to Dr. Bert Lubin, it’s au revoir
The Stem Cellar 