Got Milk? If you grew up during the 90’s, you most certainly will remember the famous “Got Milk?” advertising campaign to boost milk consumption. The plug was that milk was an invaluable source of calcium, a mineral that’s essential for growing strong bones. Drinking three glasses of the white stuff a day, supposedly would help … Continue reading A Tale of Two Stem Cell Treatments for Growing New Bones
California Institute for Regenerative Medicine
If you want to accelerate stem cell therapies then create an Accelerating Center
“You can’t teach fish to fly,” is one of the phrases that our CIRM President & CEO, Randy Mills, likes to throw out when asked why we needed to create new centers to help researchers move their most promising therapies out of the lab and into clinical trials. His point is that many researchers are … Continue reading If you want to accelerate stem cell therapies then create an Accelerating Center
CREATE-ing tools that deliver genes past the blood-brain barrier
Your brain has a natural defense that protects it from infection and harm, it’s called the blood-brain barrier (BBB). The BBB is a selectively permeable layer of tightly packed cells that separates the blood in your circulatory system from your brain. Only certain nutrients, hormones, and molecules can pass through the BBB into the brain, … Continue reading CREATE-ing tools that deliver genes past the blood-brain barrier
Super stem cell exhibit opens in San Diego
The best science museums are like playgrounds. They allow you to wander around, reading, watching and learning and being amazed as you go. It’s not just a feast for the mind; it’s also fun for the hands. You get to interact with and experience science, pushing buttons, pulling levers, watching balls drop and electricity spark. … Continue reading Super stem cell exhibit opens in San Diego
Training the Next Generation of Stem Cell Scientists
Nobel prize winners don’t come out of thin air, they were all young, impressionable kids at one point in time. If you ask any award-winning scientists how they got into science research, many of them would likely tell you about an inspiring teacher, an encouraging parent, or a hands-on research opportunity that inspired or helped … Continue reading Training the Next Generation of Stem Cell Scientists
Regenerating damaged muscle after a heart attack
Images of clusters of heart muscle cells (in red and green) derived from human embryonic stem cells 40 days after transplantation. Courtesy UCLA Every year more than 735,000 Americans have a heart attack. Many of those who survive often have lasting damage to their heart muscle and are at increased risk for future attacks and … Continue reading Regenerating damaged muscle after a heart attack
A Win for Diabetes: Scientists Make Functional Pancreatic Cells From Skin
Today is an exciting day for diabetes research and patients. For the first time, scientists have succeeded in making functional pancreatic beta cells from human skin. This new method for making the insulin-producing cells of the pancreas could produce a new, more effective treatment for patients suffering from diabetes. Researchers at the Gladstone Institutes and … Continue reading A Win for Diabetes: Scientists Make Functional Pancreatic Cells From Skin
The 10 Most Popular Stem Cellar Stories of 2015
Each new year is exciting for CIRM because it means we’re one year closer to funding a stem cell therapy that will be approved for the treatment of an unmet medical need. 2015 was especially exciting for us. Under our new president Randy Mills, we launched our accelerated funding process, CIRM 2.0, and received Board … Continue reading The 10 Most Popular Stem Cellar Stories of 2015
HIV/AIDS: Progress and Promise of Stem Cell Research
Our friends at Americans for Cures and Youreka Science have done it again. They’ve produced another whiteboard video about the progress and promise of stem cell research that’s so inspiring that it would probably make Darth Vader consider coming back to the light side. This time they tackled HIV. If you haven’t watched one of … Continue reading HIV/AIDS: Progress and Promise of Stem Cell Research
Board gives stem cell institute marching orders, and a road map
The poet T. S. Eliot once wrote: “If you aren't in over your head, how do you know how tall you are?” Well, everyone at CIRM, California’s stem cell institute, is about to find out how tall we are. Yesterday our governing Board approved a new Strategic Plan. To call it ambitious might be considered … Continue reading Board gives stem cell institute marching orders, and a road map
The Stem Cellar 