In 2005, the New Oxford American Dictionary named “podcast" its word of the year. At the time a podcast was something many had heard of but not that many actually tuned in to. My how times have changed. Now there are some two million podcasts to chose from, at least according to the New York … Continue reading A word from our Chair, several in fact
iPS Cells
Charting a course for the future
A new home for stem cell research? Have you ever been at a party where someone says “hey, I’ve got a good idea” and then before you know it everyone in the room is adding to it with ideas and suggestions of their own and suddenly you find yourself with 27 pages of notes, all … Continue reading Charting a course for the future
Scientists use stem cells to create Neanderthal-like “mini-brain”
Alysson R. Muotri, Ph.D. The evolution of modern day humans has always been a topic that has been shrouded in mystery. Some of what is known is that Neanderthals, an archaic human species that lived on this planet up until about 11,700 years ago, interbred with our species (Homo sapiens) at some point in time. … Continue reading Scientists use stem cells to create Neanderthal-like “mini-brain”
CIRM funded researchers discover link between Alzheimer’s gene and COVID-19
Dr. Yanhong Shi (left) and Dr. Vaithilingaraja Arumugaswami (right) All this month we are using our blog and social media to highlight a new chapter in CIRM’s life, thanks to the voters approving Proposition 14. We are looking back at what we have done since we were created in 2004, and also looking forward to the … Continue reading CIRM funded researchers discover link between Alzheimer’s gene and COVID-19
Stem cell research reveals path to schizophrenia
3d illustration of brain nerve cells - Photo courtesy Science Photo If you don’t know what’s causing a problem it’s hard to come up with a good way to fix it. Mental health is the perfect example. With a physical illness you can see what the problem is, through blood tests or x-rays, and develop … Continue reading Stem cell research reveals path to schizophrenia
“Mini-brains” model an autism spectrum disorder and help test treatments
Alysson Muotri, PhD, professor and director of the Stem Cell Program at UC San Diego School of Medicine and member of the Sanford Consortium for Regenerative Medicine. Image credit: UC San Diego Health Rett syndrome is a rare form of autism spectrum disorder that impairs brain development and causes problems with movement, speech, and even … Continue reading “Mini-brains” model an autism spectrum disorder and help test treatments
Persistence pays off in search for clue to heart defects
A team of scientists led by Benoit Bruneau (left), including Irfan Kathiriya (center) and Kavitha Rao (right), make inroads into understanding what genes are improperly deployed in some cases of congenital heart disease. Photo courtesy Gladstone Institute For more than 20 years Dr. Benoit Bruneau has been trying to identify the causes of congenital heart … Continue reading Persistence pays off in search for clue to heart defects
CIRM-funded study discovers potential therapy for one of the leading causes of heart disease
Dr. Deepak Srivastava and his team found a drug candidate that could help prevent tens of thousands of heart surgeries every year. Image Credit: Gladstones Institute According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), heart disease is the leading cause of death for men, women, and people of most racial and ethnic groups in the United … Continue reading CIRM-funded study discovers potential therapy for one of the leading causes of heart disease
You can’t take it if you don’t make it
Biomedical specialist Mamadou Dialio at work in the Cedars-Sinai Biomanufacturing Center. Photo by Cedars-Sinai. Following the race to develop a vaccine for COVID-19 has been a crash course in learning how complicated creating a new therapy is. It’s not just the science involved, but the logistics. Coming up with a vaccine that is both safe … Continue reading You can’t take it if you don’t make it
CIRM-funded development of stem cell therapy for Canavan disease shows promising results
Yanhong Shi, Ph.D., City of Hope Canavan disease is a fatal neurological disorder, the most prevalent form of which begins in infancy. It is caused by mutation of the ASPA gene, resulting in the deterioration of white matter (myelin) in the brain and preventing the proper transmission of nerve signals. The mutated ASPA gene causes … Continue reading CIRM-funded development of stem cell therapy for Canavan disease shows promising results
The Stem Cellar 