CIRM-funded treatment for cancer granted FDA breakthrough therapy designation

Mark Chao, M.D., Ph.D., cofounder of Forty Seven, Inc. and current VP of oncology clinical research at Gilead Sciences An antibody therapeutic, magrolimab, being tested for myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), a group of cancers in which the bone marrow does not produce enough healthy blood cells , was granted breakthrough therapy designation with the Food and Drug Administration … Continue reading CIRM-funded treatment for cancer granted FDA breakthrough therapy designation

Charting a new course for stem cell research

What are the latest advances in stem cell research targeting cancer? Can stem cells help people battling COVID-19 or even help develop a vaccine to stop the virus? What are researchers and the scientific community doing to help address the unmet medical needs of underserved communities? Those are just a few of the topics being … Continue reading Charting a new course for stem cell research

Graphite Bio launches and will prepare for clinical trial based on CIRM-funded research

Josh Lehrer, M.D., CEO of Graphite Bio This week saw the launch of the 45th startup company enabled by CIRM funding of translational research at California academic institutions. Graphite Bio officially launched with the help of $45M in funding led by bay area venture firms Versant Ventures and Samsara BioCapital to spinout a novel CRISPR … Continue reading Graphite Bio launches and will prepare for clinical trial based on CIRM-funded research

Building a progressive pipeline

Dr. Kelly Shepard By Dr. Kelly Shepard One of our favorite things to do at CIRM is deliver exciting news about CIRM projects. This usually entails discussion of recent discoveries that made headlines, or announcing the launch of a new CIRM-funded clinical trial …. tangible signs of progress towards addressing unmet medical needs through advances … Continue reading Building a progressive pipeline

Meet the people who are changing the future

Kristin MacDonald Every so often you hear a story and your first reaction is “oh, I have to share this with someone, anyone, everyone.” That’s what happened to me the other day. I was talking with Kristin MacDonald, an amazing woman, a fierce patient advocate and someone who took part in a CIRM-funded clinical trial … Continue reading Meet the people who are changing the future

CIRM partners with UCLA scientists to take on COVID-19

Don't you love it when someone does your job for you and does it so well you have no need to add anything to it! Doesn't happen very often - sad to say - but this week our friends at UCLA wrote a great article describing the work they are doing to target COVID-19. Best … Continue reading CIRM partners with UCLA scientists to take on COVID-19

Driving Innovation While Addressing Health Disparities Among People of Color

Image courtesy of Science Photo Library One of the wonders of regenerative medicine is its broad applicability, which provides us with the opportunity to build upon existing knowledge and concepts.  In the midst of a global pandemic, researchers have responded to the needs of patients severely afflicted with COVID-19 by repurposing existing therapies being developed … Continue reading Driving Innovation While Addressing Health Disparities Among People of Color

Stem Cell All-Stars, All For You

Dr. Larry Goldstein, UC San Diego It’s not often you get a chance to hear some of the brightest minds around talk about their stem cell research and what it could mean for you, me and everyone else. That’s why we’re delighted to be bringing some of the sharpest tools in the stem cell shed … Continue reading Stem Cell All-Stars, All For You

Therapy developed with CIRM award used in new clinical trial for COVID-19

Dr. Joshua Rhein, Assistant Professor of Medicine in the University of Minnesota Medical School's Division of Infectious Diseases and International Medicine Image Credit: University of Minnesota While doctors are still trying to better understand how to treat some of the most severe cases of COVID-19, researchers are looking at their current scientific "toolkit" to see if … Continue reading Therapy developed with CIRM award used in new clinical trial for COVID-19

Perseverance: from theory to therapy. Our story over the last year – and a half

Some of the stars of our Annual Report It’s been a long time coming. Eighteen months to be precise. Which is a peculiarly long time for an Annual Report. The world is certainly a very different place today than when we started, and yet our core mission hasn’t changed at all, except to spring into … Continue reading Perseverance: from theory to therapy. Our story over the last year – and a half