Stem cell transplants help put MS in remission: A combination of high dose immunosuppressive therapy and transplant of a person’s own blood stem cells seems to be a powerful tool in helping people with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) go into sustained remission. Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disorder where the body’s own immune system … Continue reading Stories that caught our eye: stem cell transplants help put MS in remission; unlocking the cause of autism; and a day to discover what stem cells are all about
Adult Stem Cells
Mini-guts made from stem cells uncover mechanisms of viral infection in infants
Besides their chubby cheeks and cute little toes, I think what makes newborns so precious is how vulnerable they are in those first few days and months of life. For instance, infants are particularly easy targets for infections of the gut caused by enteroviruses. While healthy adults infected with these viruses may exhibit mild cold … Continue reading Mini-guts made from stem cells uncover mechanisms of viral infection in infants
Stem Cells Profiles in Courage: Frank’s final gift
Not every story has a happy ending. But they do all have something to teach us. In the case of Frank St. Clair the lesson was simple: live life fully and freely, love those around you, and never give up. We were fortunate enough to get to know Frank as one of the people we … Continue reading Stem Cells Profiles in Courage: Frank’s final gift
Stories that caught our eye: new target for killing leukemia cancer stem cells and stem cell vesicles halt glaucoma
New stem cell target for acute myeloid leukemia (Karen Ring). A new treatment for acute myeloid leukemia, a type of blood cancer that turns bone marrow stem cells cancerous, could be in the works in the form of a cancer stem cell destroying antibody. Scientists from the NYU Langone Medical Center and the Memorial Sloan … Continue reading Stories that caught our eye: new target for killing leukemia cancer stem cells and stem cell vesicles halt glaucoma
Stories that caught our eye: $20.5 million in new CIRM discovery awards, sickle cell disease cell bank, iPSC insights
CIRM Board launches a new voyage of Discovery (Kevin McCormack). Basic or early stage research is the Rodney Dangerfield of science; it rarely gets the respect it deserves. Yesterday, the CIRM governing Board showed that it not only respects this research, but also values its role in laying the foundation for everything that follows. The … Continue reading Stories that caught our eye: $20.5 million in new CIRM discovery awards, sickle cell disease cell bank, iPSC insights
Avalanches of exciting new stem cell research at the Keystone Symposia near Lake Tahoe
From January 8th to 13th, nearly 300 scientists and trainees from around the world ascended the mountains near Lake Tahoe to attend the joint Keystone Symposia on Neurogenesis and Stem Cells at the Resort at Squaw Creek. With record-high snowfall in the area (almost five feet!), attendees had to stay inside to stay warm and dry, … Continue reading Avalanches of exciting new stem cell research at the Keystone Symposia near Lake Tahoe
Stories that caught our eye: frail bones in diabetics, ethics of future IVF, Alzheimer’s
The connection between diabetes and frail bones uncovered Fundamentally, diabetes is defined by abnormally high blood sugar levels. But that one defect over time carries an increased risk for a wide range of severe health problems. For instance, compared to healthy individuals, type 2 diabetics are more prone to poorly healing bone fractures – a … Continue reading Stories that caught our eye: frail bones in diabetics, ethics of future IVF, Alzheimer’s
Cured by Stem Cells
To get anywhere you need a good map, and you need to check it constantly to make sure you are still on the right path and haven’t strayed off course. A year ago the CIRM Board gave us a map, a Strategic Plan, that laid out our course for the next five years. Our Annual … Continue reading Cured by Stem Cells
Understanding two heart problems by studying the domino effect of one gene network
Although heart muscle cells, or cardiomyocytes, are specialized to help pump blood to the organs, they nonetheless carry all the genetic instructions for becoming a nerve cell, an intestinal cell, a liver or any cell type in the body. But at the moment in time that the fetal heart begins to develop, master switch proteins, … Continue reading Understanding two heart problems by studying the domino effect of one gene network
California’s stem cell agency rounds up the year with two more big hits
It’s traditional to end the year with a look back at what you hoped to accomplish and an assessment of what you did. By that standard 2016 has been a pretty good year for us at CIRM. Yesterday our governing Board approved funding for two new clinical trials, one to help kidney transplant patients, the … Continue reading California’s stem cell agency rounds up the year with two more big hits
The Stem Cellar 