Stem Cell Agency Board Invests in 19 Discovery Research Programs Targeting Cancers, Heart Disease and Other Disorders

THIS BLOG IS ALSO AVAILABLE AS AN AUDIO CAST Dr. Judy Shizuru, Stanford University While stem cell and gene therapy research has advanced dramatically in recent years, there are still many unknowns and many questions remaining about how best to use these approaches in developing therapies. That’s why the governing Board of the California Institute … Continue reading Stem Cell Agency Board Invests in 19 Discovery Research Programs Targeting Cancers, Heart Disease and Other Disorders

Can regenerative medicine turn back the clock on aging?

One of my favorite phrases is “standing room only”. I got a chance to use it last week when we held a panel discussion on whether regenerative medicine could turn back the clock on aging. The event was at the annual conference of the International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR) and more than 150 … Continue reading Can regenerative medicine turn back the clock on aging?

Two reasons to remember June 19th

Today marks two significant events for the Black community. June 19th is celebrated as Juneteenth, the day when federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas to ensure that the enslaved people there were free. That moment came two and a half years after President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation into law. June 19th is also … Continue reading Two reasons to remember June 19th

Stem cells help researchers map out glaucoma in search for new treatments

Glaucoma is the world’s leading cause of irreversible blindness. There is no cure and current treatments are only able to slow down the progression of the disease. Now research using stem cells to create a genetic blueprint of glaucoma is giving scientist a powerful new tool to combat the disease. Glaucoma occurs when healthy retinal … Continue reading Stem cells help researchers map out glaucoma in search for new treatments

Join us to hear how stem cell and gene therapy are taking on diseases of aging

It is estimated that as many as 90 percent of people in industrialized countries who die every day, die from diseases of aging such as heart disease, stroke, and cancer. Of those still alive the numbers aren’t much more reassuring. More than 80 percent of people over the age of 65 have a chronic medical … Continue reading Join us to hear how stem cell and gene therapy are taking on diseases of aging

The long road to developing a therapy for epilepsy

THIS BLOG IS ALSO AVAILABLE AS AN AUDIO CAST Good science takes time. That’s an important guiding phrase for researchers looking to develop new therapies. But it’s also a frustrating reality for patients who are waiting for something to help them now. That point was driven home last week when the governing board of the … Continue reading The long road to developing a therapy for epilepsy

The power of the patient advocate: how a quick visit led to an $11M grant to fund a clinical trial

THIS BLOG IS ALSO AVAILABLE AS AN AUDIO CAST Members of NFOSD visiting UC Davis in 2013 At the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) we are fortunate in having enough money to fund the most promising research to be tested in a clinical trial. Those are expensive projects, often costing tens of millions of … Continue reading The power of the patient advocate: how a quick visit led to an $11M grant to fund a clinical trial

Marathon effort to raise awareness about Huntington’s disease

The COVID pandemic put a lot of things on hold over the last two years. But thanks to the vaccine and boosters more and more people are feeling comfortable about getting out and about again. Case in point, the Orange County Marathon was held for the first time in two years on Sunday, May 1st. … Continue reading Marathon effort to raise awareness about Huntington’s disease

Replacement brain cells offer hope for Parkinson’s treatment

A colony of iPSCs from a Parkinson's patient (left) and dopaminergic neurons made from these iPSCs (right) to model PD. (Image credit: Jeanne Loring) A new study that used adult blood stem cells to create replacement brain nerve cells appears to help rats with Parkinson’s. In Parkinson’s, the disease attacks brain nerve cells that produce … Continue reading Replacement brain cells offer hope for Parkinson’s treatment

Smoking marijuana could be bad for your heart, but there is an unusual remedy

THIS BLOG IS ALSO AVAILABLE AS AN AUDIO CAST Smoking medical marijuana: Photo courtesy Elsa Olofsson Millions of Americans use marijuana for medical reasons, such as reducing anxiety or helping ease the side effects of cancer therapy. Millions more turn to it for recreational reasons, saying it helps them relax. Now a new study says … Continue reading Smoking marijuana could be bad for your heart, but there is an unusual remedy