“A pale hue”. For most of us that is a simple description, an observation about color. For Kristin Macdonald it’s a glimpse of the future. In some ways it’s a miracle. Kristin lost her sight to retinitis pigmentosa (RP). For many years she was virtually blind. But now, thanks to a clinical trial funded by … Continue reading Seeing is believing: how some scientists – including two funded by CIRM – are working to help the blind see
Cell Type
Stem cell stories that caught our eye: Salamander limb regrowth, mass producing cells for kidneys and halting cancer stem cells
Here are some stem cell stories that caught our eye this past week. Some are groundbreaking science, others are of personal interest to us, and still others are just fun. Fun with axolotls. Axolotls, the albino aquatic critters that look like they have feathers growing out of the backs of their heads, have long been … Continue reading Stem cell stories that caught our eye: Salamander limb regrowth, mass producing cells for kidneys and halting cancer stem cells
How many stem cell trials will it take to get a cure?
When I think about how many clinical trials it will take before a stem cell therapy is available to patients, I’m reminded of the decades old Tootsie Pop commercial where a kid asks a series of talking animals, “How many licks does it take to get to the Tootsie Roll center of a Tootsie Pop?” … Continue reading How many stem cell trials will it take to get a cure?
Sleep inducing hormone puts breast cancer cells to rest
It’s pretty easy to connect the dots between a lack of sleep and an increased risk of a deadly car crash. But what about an increased risk of cancer? A 2012 study of 101 women newly diagnosed with breast cancer found that those with inadequate sleep were more likely to have more aggressive tumors. Though … Continue reading Sleep inducing hormone puts breast cancer cells to rest
New approach could help turn back the clock and reverse damage for stroke patients
Stroke is the leading cause of serious, long-term disability in the US. Every year almost 800,000 people suffer from a stroke. The impact on their lives, and the lives of those around them can be devastating. Right now the only treatment approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is tissue plasminogen activator or … Continue reading New approach could help turn back the clock and reverse damage for stroke patients
Stem cell stories that caught our eye: Zika virus and adult brains, a step toward precision medicine and source of blood stem cells
Here are some stem cell stories that caught our eye this past week. Some are groundbreaking science, others are of personal interest to us, and still others are just fun. Zika virus and the adult brain. While almost all the press attention for the Zika virus has centered on pregnant women and the devastating impact … Continue reading Stem cell stories that caught our eye: Zika virus and adult brains, a step toward precision medicine and source of blood stem cells
Better, Faster Quality Control for Stem Cell-Based Therapies
“Based”. It’s a pretty boring word but I make sure to include it when writing about the development of stem cell therapies, as in: “Asterias Biotherapeutics is testing an embryonic stem cell-based treatment for spinal cord injury”. It’s a key word here because no legitimate clinic would transplant embryonic stem cells (ESCs) or induced pluripotent … Continue reading Better, Faster Quality Control for Stem Cell-Based Therapies
Here’s a new gene editing strategy to treat genetic blood disorders
If you’re taking a road trip across the country, you have a starting point and an ending point. How you go from point A to point B could be one of a million different routes, but the ultimate outcome is the same: reaching your final destination. Yesterday scientists from St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital published … Continue reading Here’s a new gene editing strategy to treat genetic blood disorders
Stem cell stories that caught our eye: better bone marrow transplants, turbo charging anti-inflammatory stem cells and Zika’s weapons
Here are some stem cell stories that caught our eye this past week. Some are groundbreaking science, others are of personal interest to us, and still others are just fun. Three steps to better BMT. Bone marrow stem cell transplants (BMT) save the lives of many thousands of patients every year, but they also kill … Continue reading Stem cell stories that caught our eye: better bone marrow transplants, turbo charging anti-inflammatory stem cells and Zika’s weapons
Unlocking the secrets of how stem cells decide what kind of cell they’re going to be
Before joining CIRM I thought OCT4 was a date on the calendar. But a new study says it may be a lot closer to a date with destiny, because this study says OCT4 helps determine what kinds of cell a stem cell will become. Now, before we go any further I should explain for people … Continue reading Unlocking the secrets of how stem cells decide what kind of cell they’re going to be
The Stem Cellar 