THIS BLOG IS ALSO AVAILABLE AS AN AUDIO CAST In our recently launched 5-year Strategic Plan, the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) profiled two researchers who have leveraged CIRM funding to translate basic biological discoveries into potential real-world solutions for devastating diseases. Dr. Joseph Wu is director of the Stanford Cardiovascular Institute and the recipient … Continue reading How two California researchers are advancing world class science to develop real life solutions
Cell Type
One more good reason to exercise
THIS BLOG IS ALSO AVAILABLE AS AN AUDIO CAST As we start the New Year with a fervent hope that it’s better than the last two, many people are making a resolution to get more exercise. A new study suggests that might not just benefit the body, it could also help the brain. At least … Continue reading One more good reason to exercise
How some brilliant research may have uncovered a potential Alzheimer’s therapy
Dr. Nicole Koutsodendris, photo courtesy Gladstone Institutes In the world of scientific research, the people doing clinical trials tend to suck up all the oxygen in the room. They’re the stars, the ones who are bringing potential therapies to patients. However, there’s another group of researchers who toil away in the background, but who are … Continue reading How some brilliant research may have uncovered a potential Alzheimer’s therapy
Newly-developed organoid mimics how gut and heart tissues arise cooperatively from stem cells
Gladstone Senior Investigator Todd McDevitt, PhD said this first-of-its-kind organoid could serve as a new tool for laboratory research and improve our understanding of how developing organs and tissues cooperate and instruct each other.
Producing insulin for people who can’t
THIS BLOG IS ALSO AVAILABLE AS AN AUDIO CAST ViaCyte's implantable stem cell pouch One of the huge advantages of a stem cell agency like CIRM (not that there is anything out there quite like us, but anyway) is our ability to support projects as they progress from a great idea to a therapy actually … Continue reading Producing insulin for people who can’t
One step closer to making ‘off-the-shelf’ immune cell therapy for cancer a reality
THIS BLOG IS ALSO AVAILABLE AS AN AUDIO CAST Immunotherapy is a type of cancer treatment that uses a person's own immune system to fight cancer. It comes in a variety of forms including targeted antibodies, cancer vaccines, and adoptive cell therapies. While immunotherapies have revolutionized the treatment of aggressive cancers in recent decades, they must be created … Continue reading One step closer to making ‘off-the-shelf’ immune cell therapy for cancer a reality
Type 1 diabetes therapy gets go-ahead for clinical trial
ViaCyte's implantable cell-based therapy for type 1 diabetes THIS BLOG IS ALSO AVAILABLE AS AN AUDIO CAST Taking even the most promising therapy and moving it out of the lab and into people is an incredibly complex process and usually requires a great team. Now, two great teams have paired up to do just that … Continue reading Type 1 diabetes therapy gets go-ahead for clinical trial
Old therapies inspire new hope for treatment of pediatric brain tumors
THIS BLOG IS ALSO AVAILABLE AS AN AUDIO CAST Image courtesy St. Jude Children's Research Hospital A recent study led by John Hopkins Medicine has found that combining two 'old therapies' can offer a surprising new purpose - fighting Medulloblastoma, the most common malignant brain tumor in children. The fast-growing cancerous tumor originates in the brain … Continue reading Old therapies inspire new hope for treatment of pediatric brain tumors
Promising new approach for people with epilepsy
Image courtesy Epilepsy.com THIS BLOG IS ALSO AVAILABLE AS AN AUDIO CAST A new therapeutic approach, supported by CIRM, that blocks the signals in the brain that can cause epilepsy has been given permission by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to be tested in a clinical trial. Nearly 3.5 million Americans suffer from … Continue reading Promising new approach for people with epilepsy
COVID is a real pain in the ear
THIS BLOG IS ALSO AVAILABLE AS AN AUDIO CAST The more you learn about COVID-19 the more there is to dislike about it. The global death toll from the virus is now more than five million and for those who survive there can be long-term health consequences. We know COVID can attack the lungs, heart … Continue reading COVID is a real pain in the ear