Dr. Nicole Koutsodendris, photo courtesy Gladstone Institutes In the world of scientific research, the people doing clinical trials tend to suck up all the oxygen in the room. They’re the stars, the ones who are bringing potential therapies to patients. However, there’s another group of researchers who toil away in the background, but who are … Continue reading How some brilliant research may have uncovered a potential therapy for Alzheimer’s
Basic Research
Bridges Scholar Spotlight: Samira Alwahabi
THIS BLOG IS ALSO AVAILABLE AS AN AUDIO CAST For more than a decade, CIRM has funded a number of educational and research training programs to give students the opportunity to explore stem cell science. One such project, the Bridges to Stem Cell Research program, helps train future generation of scientists by preparing undergraduate and … Continue reading Bridges Scholar Spotlight: Samira Alwahabi
A year unlike any other – a look back at one year post Prop 14
THIS BLOG IS ALSO AVAILABLE AS AN AUDIO CAST State flag of California 2020 was, by any standards, a pretty wacky year. Pandemic. Political convulsions. And a huge amount of uncertainty as to the funding of life-saving therapies at CIRM. Happily, those all turned out OK. We got vaccines to take care of COVID. The … Continue reading A year unlike any other – a look back at one year post Prop 14
Promising new approach for people with epilepsy
Image courtesy Epilepsy.com THIS BLOG IS ALSO AVAILABLE AS AN AUDIO CAST A new therapeutic approach, supported by CIRM, that blocks the signals in the brain that can cause epilepsy has been given permission by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to be tested in a clinical trial. Nearly 3.5 million Americans suffer from … Continue reading Promising new approach for people with epilepsy
COVID is a real pain in the ear
THIS BLOG IS ALSO AVAILABLE AS AN AUDIO CAST The more you learn about COVID-19 the more there is to dislike about it. The global death toll from the virus is now more than five million and for those who survive there can be long-term health consequences. We know COVID can attack the lungs, heart … Continue reading COVID is a real pain in the ear
Beware of misleading headlines and claims
THIS BLOG IS ALSO AVAILABLE AS AN AUDIO CAST Coronavirus particles, illustration. When the COVID pandemic broke out researchers all over the world scrambled to find new approaches to tackling the virus. Some of these, such as the vaccines, proved remarkably effective. Others, such as the anti-parasite medication ivermectin or the anti-malaria drug chloroquine, were … Continue reading Beware of misleading headlines and claims
Reprogramming brain cells to restore vision after a stroke
THIS BLOG IS ALSO AVAILABLE AS AN AUDIO CAST About one third of stroke survivors experience vision loss. It can be a devastating side effect as most patients will not fully recover their vision and there are currently no reliable treatments available. But thanks to a collaborative effort by two teams of researchers from Purdue … Continue reading Reprogramming brain cells to restore vision after a stroke
A hair raising tale
THIS BLOG CAN ALSO BE LISTENED TO AS AN AUDIO CAST For many men, losing their hair is not just something that happens with age, it’s traumatic. A survey of men from the UK, France, Germany, Italy and Spain found that more than 70% of men who reported losing their hair said it was an … Continue reading A hair raising tale
A step forward in finding a treatment for a deadly neurological disorder
THIS BLOG IS ALSO AVAILABLE AS AN AUDIO CAST MRI section of a brain affected by ALS with the front section of the brain highlighted Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, is a nasty disease that steadily attacks nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. It’s pretty much always fatal … Continue reading A step forward in finding a treatment for a deadly neurological disorder
Celebrating Stem Cell Awareness Day
THIS BLOD IS ALSO AVAILABLE AS AN AUDIOCAST ON SPOTIFY The second Wednesday in October is celebrated as Stem Cell Awareness Day. It's an event that CIRM has been part of since then Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger launched it back in 2008 saying: ”The discoveries being made today in our Golden State will have a great … Continue reading Celebrating Stem Cell Awareness Day
The Stem Cellar 