Stem Cell Awareness: What are stem cells and why research is important 

Have you heard of stem cells but don't know what they are or why they are essential in medical research? In celebration of Stem Cell Awareness Day, the second Wednesday in October that is dedicated to educating about the importance of stem cells, the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) is providing this guide on … Continue reading Stem Cell Awareness: What are stem cells and why research is important 

Using stem cells and smart machines to warn of heart problems

Despite advances in treatments in recent years heart disease remains the leading cause of death in the US. It accounts for one in three deaths in this country, and many people are not even aware they have a problem until they have a heart attack. One of the early warning signs of danger is a … Continue reading Using stem cells and smart machines to warn of heart problems

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

Turning back the clock to make old skin cells young again

THIS BLOG IS ALSO AVAILABLE AS AN AUDIO CAST Dr. Diljeet Gill, photo courtesy Babraham Institute, Cambridge UK Sometimes when I am giving public presentations people ask if stem cells are good for the face. I always say that if stem cells could help improve people’s faces would I look like this. It’s a line … Continue reading Turning back the clock to make old skin cells young again

How two California researchers are advancing world class science to develop real life solutions

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

How some brilliant research may have uncovered a potential therapy for Alzheimer’s 

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 therapy for Alzheimer’s 

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. 

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

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