CIRM-Funded UC-Irvine Team Set to Launch Stem Cell Trial for Retinitis Pigmentosa in 2015

Rosalinda Barrero has often been mistaken for a rude snob. She has the habit of not saying hello or even acknowledging the presence of acquaintances that she passes around town. But in fact this kind, loving mom of three has been steadily losing her vision over a lifetime. And she doesn’t seem blind because people … Continue reading CIRM-Funded UC-Irvine Team Set to Launch Stem Cell Trial for Retinitis Pigmentosa in 2015

Key stem cell gene controlled from afar, Canadian scientists discover

Embryonic stem cells can, by definition, mature into any cell type in the body. They are able to maintain this state of so-called pluripotency with the help of a gene called Sox2. And now, researchers at the University of Toronto (U of T) have discovered the unseen force that controls it. These findings, reported in … Continue reading Key stem cell gene controlled from afar, Canadian scientists discover

Stem cell stories that caught our eye: good fat vs. bad fat, the black box of cell reprogramming and Parkinson’s

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. One day a pill might turn bad fat into good fat. For a few years now several research teams have linked white fat to the … Continue reading Stem cell stories that caught our eye: good fat vs. bad fat, the black box of cell reprogramming and Parkinson’s

Finding the Sweet Spot: shifting metabolism keeps stem cells in suspended animation

The future is bright for a stem cell: it has the potential to become almost anything. This potential is one of its two defining characteristics. The second is that it can create copies of itself over and over again. This second characteristic, known as the ability to self-renew, is of particular importance to researchers. After … Continue reading Finding the Sweet Spot: shifting metabolism keeps stem cells in suspended animation

Stem Cell Stories that Caught our Eye: Stem Cell Summit Roundup, Spinal Cords in a Dish and Stem Cell Tourism in the NFL

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. Success at the World Stem Cell Summit. This week some of the biggest names in regenerative medicine descended upon San Antonio, Texas for the annual … Continue reading Stem Cell Stories that Caught our Eye: Stem Cell Summit Roundup, Spinal Cords in a Dish and Stem Cell Tourism in the NFL

Using stem cells paves new approach to treating a blistering skin disease

Imagine a child not being able to run or jump or just roll around, for fear that any movement could strip away their skin and leave them with open, painful wounds. That’s what life is like for children with a nasty genetic disease called epidermolysis bullosa or EB. The slightest touch can cause their skin … Continue reading Using stem cells paves new approach to treating a blistering skin disease

10 Years/10 Therapies: 10 Years after its Founding CIRM will have 10 Therapies Approved for Clinical Trials

In 2004, when 59 percent of California voters approved the creation of CIRM, our state embarked on an unprecedented experiment: providing concentrated funding to a new, promising area of research. The goal: accelerate the process of getting therapies to patients, especially those with unmet medical needs. Having 10 potential treatments expected to be approved for … Continue reading 10 Years/10 Therapies: 10 Years after its Founding CIRM will have 10 Therapies Approved for Clinical Trials

Spinal cord injury and stem cell research; find out the latest in a Google Hangout

Spinal cord injuries are devastating, leaving the person injured facing a life time of challenges, and placing a huge strain on their family and loved ones who help care for them. The numbers affected are not small. More than a quarter of a million Americans are living with spinal cord injuries and there are more … Continue reading Spinal cord injury and stem cell research; find out the latest in a Google Hangout

Stem cell stories that caught our eye: gene editing tools, lung repair in COPD and big brains

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. Review of the many ways to edit defective genes. Nature’s news section did a nice review of the many ways blood-forming stem cells can be … Continue reading Stem cell stories that caught our eye: gene editing tools, lung repair in COPD and big brains

More Than Meets the Eye: Protein that Keeps Cancer in Check also Plays Direct Role in Stem Cell Biology, a Stanford Study Finds.

Here’s a startling fact: the retinoblastoma protein —Rb, for short — is defective or missing in nearly all cancers. Rb is called a tumor suppressor because it prevents excessive cell growth by acting as a crucial traffic stop for the cell cycle, a process that controls the timing for a cell to divide and multiply. … Continue reading More Than Meets the Eye: Protein that Keeps Cancer in Check also Plays Direct Role in Stem Cell Biology, a Stanford Study Finds.