Regina Karchner - Photo courtesy Nancy Ramos Photography Our 2021-22 Annual Report is now online. It’s filled with information about the work we have done over the last year (we are on a fiscal calendar year from July 1 – June 30), the people who have helped us do that work, and some of the … Continue reading Strength forged from adversity
CIRM Annual Report
How the Tooth Fairy is helping unlock the secrets of autism
Our 2021-22 Annual Report is now online. It’s filled with information about the work we have done over the last year (we are on a fiscal calendar year from July 1 – June 30), the people who have helped us do that work, and some of the people who have benefited from that work. One … Continue reading How the Tooth Fairy is helping unlock the secrets of autism
Wit, wisdom, and a glimpse into the future
THIS BLOG IS ALSO AVAILABLE AS AN AUDIO CAST As of this moment, there are over two million podcasts and over 48 million episodes to listen to on your favorite listening device. If you’re a true crime enthusiast like me, you’ve surely heard of Casefile or one of the other 94 podcasts on the topic. … Continue reading Wit, wisdom, and a glimpse into the future
Saying thanks and farewell to a friend
Tom Howing In this job you get to meet a lot of remarkable people, none more so than the patients who volunteer to take part in what are giant experiments. They are courageous pioneers, willing to be among the first people to ever try a new therapy, knowing that it may not help them and, … Continue reading Saying thanks and farewell to a friend
Surviving with Joy
Dr. Tippi MacKenzie (left) of UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital San Francisco, visits with newborn Elianna and parents Nichelle Obar and Chris Constantino. Photo by Noah Berger Alpha thalassemia major is, by any stretch of the imagination, a dreadful, heart breaker of a disease. It's caused by four missing or mutated genes and it almost always … Continue reading Surviving with Joy
Celebrating a life that almost didn’t happen
Evie Vaccaro You can’t look at this photo and not smile. This is Evie Vaccaro, and it’s clear she is just bursting with energy and vitality. Sometimes it feels like I have known Evie all her life. In a way I have. And I feel so fortunate to have done so, and that’s why this … Continue reading Celebrating a life that almost didn’t happen
Stem Cell/Gene Therapy combo heals patients battling rare disorder
Brenden Whittaker and his dog: Photo by Colin McGuire A few years ago, Brenden Whittaker was running out of time. Brenden was born with a rare condition called x-linked chronic granulomatous disease or XCGD. It meant he lacked a critical part of his immune system that protects against bacterial or fungal infections. Over 22 years … Continue reading Stem Cell/Gene Therapy combo heals patients battling rare disorder
Gene therapy gives patient a cure and a new lease on life
Brenden Whittaker (left), of Ohio, is a patient born with a rare genetic immune disease who was treated at the Dana-Farber/Boston Children’s Cancer and Blood Disorders Center in a CIRM funded gene therapy trial. Dr. David Williams (on right) is Brenden's treating physician.Photo courtesy of Rose Lincoln - Harvard Staff Photographer Pursuing an education can … Continue reading Gene therapy gives patient a cure and a new lease on life
Frustration, failure and finally hope in the search for treatments for spina bifida
By any standards Dr. Diana Farmer is a determined woman who doesn’t let setbacks and failure deter her. As a fetal and neonatal surgeon, and the chair of the Department of Surgery at UC Davis Health, Dr. Farmer has spent years trying to develop a cure for spina bifida. She’s getting closer. Dr. Farmer and … Continue reading Frustration, failure and finally hope in the search for treatments for spina bifida
Performance, Passion and Progress: and that’s just page one of our 2018 Annual Report
It’s hard to sum up the activities and achievements of a year in a single document, let alone one that’s just 24 pages. But that’s what we have done in putting together our 2018 Annual Report. It’s a look back at the year just gone, the highlights, the low lights (spoiler alert – there weren’t … Continue reading Performance, Passion and Progress: and that’s just page one of our 2018 Annual Report