For the nearly 1,000 babies born each year in the United States with sickle cell disease, a painful and arduous road awaits them. The only cure is to find a bone marrow donor—an exceedingly rare proposition. Instead, the standard treatment for this inherited blood disorder is regular blood transfusions, with repeated hospitalizations to deal with … Continue reading One-Time, Lasting Treatment for Sickle Cell Disease May be on Horizon, According to New CIRM-Funded Study
Cell Type
Stay on Target: Scientists Create Chemical ‘Homing Devices’ that Guide Stem Cells to Final Destination
When injecting stem cells into a patient, how do the cells know where to go? How do they know to travel to a specific damage site, without getting distracted along the way? Scientists are now discovering that, in some cases they do but in many cases, they don’t. So engineers have found a way to … Continue reading Stay on Target: Scientists Create Chemical ‘Homing Devices’ that Guide Stem Cells to Final Destination
Heroic three-year study reveals safe methods for growing clinical-grade stem cells
Imagine seeking out the ideal pancake recipe: should you include sugar or no sugar? How about bleached vs. unbleached flour? Baking power or baking soda? When to flip the pancake on the skillet? You really have to test out many parameters to get that perfectly delicious light and fluffy pancake. Essentially that’s what a CIRM-funded … Continue reading Heroic three-year study reveals safe methods for growing clinical-grade stem cells
Stem cell stories that caught our eye; progress toward artificial brain, teeth may help the blind and obesity
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. More progress toward artificial brain. A team at the RIKEN Institute in Japan has used stem cells in a 3-D culture to create brain tissue … Continue reading Stem cell stories that caught our eye; progress toward artificial brain, teeth may help the blind and obesity
Stem cell stories that caught our eye: Cancer genetics, cell fate, super donors and tale of road to diabetes cure
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. For cancer growth timing is everything. A study originating at the University of Southern California suggests tumors are born to be bad. Mutations constantly occur … Continue reading Stem cell stories that caught our eye: Cancer genetics, cell fate, super donors and tale of road to diabetes cure
Stem cell stories that caught our eye: repairing radiation damage, beta thalassemia clinical trial and disease models
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. Stem cells repair brain damage from radiation therapy. Radiation for brain cancer can be a lifesaver but it can also be a dramatic life changer. … Continue reading Stem cell stories that caught our eye: repairing radiation damage, beta thalassemia clinical trial and disease models
MIT Scientists Recreate Malaria in a Dish to Test Promising Drug Candidates
At the beginning, it feels like the flu: aches, pains and vomiting. But then you begin to experience severe cold and shivering, followed by fever and sweating—a cycle, known as tertian fever, that repeats itself every two days. And that’s when you know: you’ve contracted malaria. But you wouldn’t be alone. According to the World … Continue reading MIT Scientists Recreate Malaria in a Dish to Test Promising Drug Candidates
Money matters: how investing in research advances stem cell science
Our goal at the stem cell agency is simple; to accelerate the development of successful therapies to patients with unmet medical needs. But on the way to doing that something interesting is happening; we’re helping advance the scientific understanding of stem cells and building a robust stem cell research community in California in the process. … Continue reading Money matters: how investing in research advances stem cell science
‘STARS’ Help Scientists Control Genetic On/Off Switch
All life on Earth relies, ultimately, on the delicate coordination of switches. During development, these switches turn genes on—or keep them off—at precise intervals, controlling the complex processes that guide the growth of the embryo, cell by cell, as it matures from a collection of stem cells into a living, breathing organism. If you control … Continue reading ‘STARS’ Help Scientists Control Genetic On/Off Switch
Stem cell stories that caught our eye: new ways to reprogram, shifting attitudes on tissue donation, and hockey legend’s miracle questioned
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. Insulin-producing cells produced from skin. Starting with human skin cells a team at the University of Iowa has created iPS-type stem cells through genetic reprogramming … Continue reading Stem cell stories that caught our eye: new ways to reprogram, shifting attitudes on tissue donation, and hockey legend’s miracle questioned
The Stem Cellar 