Curing the Incurable through Definitive Medicine

“Curing the Incurable”. That was the theme for the first annual Center for Definitive and Curative Medicine (CDCM) Symposium held last week at Stanford University, in Palo Alto, California. The CDCM is a joint initiative amongst Stanford Healthcare, Stanford Children’s Health and the Stanford School of Medicine. Its mission is to foster an environment that … Continue reading Curing the Incurable through Definitive Medicine

Good news from Asterias’ CIRM-funded spinal cord injury trial

This week in the stem cell field, all eyes are on Asterias Biotherapeutics, a California-based company that’s testing a stem cell based-therapy in a CIRM-funded clinical trial for spinal cord injury patients. The company launched its Phase 1/2a clinical trial back in 2014 with the goal of determining the safety of the therapy and the … Continue reading Good news from Asterias’ CIRM-funded spinal cord injury trial

Life after SPARK: CIRM high school intern gets prestigious scholarship to Stanford

As part of our CIRM scholar blog series, we’re featuring the research and career accomplishments of CIRM funded students. Meet Ranya Odeh. She is a senior at Sheldon high school in Elk Grove, California, and a 2016 CIRM SPARK intern. The SPARK program provides stem cell research internships to underprivileged high school students at leading research … Continue reading Life after SPARK: CIRM high school intern gets prestigious scholarship to Stanford

Has the promise of stem cells been overstated?

One of the most famous stem cell scientists in the world said on Monday that the promise of stem cell treatments has in some ways been overstated. In an interview with the New York Times, Dr. Shinya Yamanaka, one of the recipients of the 2012 Nobel Prize in Medicine for his discovery of induced pluripotent … Continue reading Has the promise of stem cells been overstated?

Eye on the prize: two stem cell studies restore vision in blind mice

For the 39 million people in the world who are blind, a vision-restoring therapy would be the ultimate prize. So far, this prize has remained out of reach, but two studies published this week have entered the ring as promising contenders in the fight against blindness. In the red corner, we have a study published … Continue reading Eye on the prize: two stem cell studies restore vision in blind mice

What’s Your 2017 Stem Cell Resolution?

January marks the beginning of a new year and is typically a time when people make resolutions to better themselves. This year at CIRM, we’re shaking things up and making stem cell resolutions. What’s your #StemCellResolution? Our goal is to raise awareness about the importance of funding stem cell research and accelerating the development of … Continue reading What’s Your 2017 Stem Cell Resolution?

Your Guide to Awesome Stem Cell Conferences in 2017

Welcome to 2017, a year that will likely be full of change and new surprises. I’m hoping that some of these surprises will be in regenerative medicine with new stem cell therapies showing promise or effectiveness in clinical trials. A great way to stay on top of new advances in stem cell research is to … Continue reading Your Guide to Awesome Stem Cell Conferences in 2017

Genetically engineered immune cells melt away deadly brain tumors

Cancers come in many different forms. Some are treatable if caught early and other aren’t. One of the most deadly types of cancers are glioblastomas - a particularly aggressive form of brain tumor.  Patients diagnosed with glioblastoma have an average life expectancy of 12-15 months and there is no cure or effective treatment that extends … Continue reading Genetically engineered immune cells melt away deadly brain tumors

The 10 Most Popular Stem Cellar Stories of 2016

Happy Holidays to our loyal Stem Cellar fans! 🎉⛄ The days between Christmas and New Years are my favorite time of the year. The roads are empty, parking is plentiful and no one is in the office to judge my voracious cookie consumption. It’s also a time for us to reflect on what we’ve accomplished in … Continue reading The 10 Most Popular Stem Cellar Stories of 2016

Brain Models Get an Upgrade: 3D Mini-Brains

Every year, companies like Apple, Microsoft and Google work tirelessly to upgrade their computer, software and smartphone technologies to satisfy growing demands for more functionality. Much like these companies, biomedical scientists work tirelessly to improve the research techniques and models they use to understand and treat human disease. Today, I’ll be talking about a cool … Continue reading Brain Models Get an Upgrade: 3D Mini-Brains