The state of the regenerative medicine field is strong and getting stronger. That was the bottom line verdict at the 2017 Cell and Gene Therapies State of the Industry briefing in San Francisco. The briefing, an annual update on the field presented by the Alliance for Regenerative Medicine (ARM), gave a “by the numbers” look … Continue reading Stem cell and gene therapy research gets a good report card from industry leader
Clinical Trials
Genetically engineered immune cells melt away deadly brain tumors
Cancers come in many different forms. Some are treatable if caught early and other aren’t. One of the most deadly types of cancers are glioblastomas - a particularly aggressive form of brain tumor. Patients diagnosed with glioblastoma have an average life expectancy of 12-15 months and there is no cure or effective treatment that extends … Continue reading Genetically engineered immune cells melt away deadly brain tumors
Cured by Stem Cells
To get anywhere you need a good map, and you need to check it constantly to make sure you are still on the right path and haven’t strayed off course. A year ago the CIRM Board gave us a map, a Strategic Plan, that laid out our course for the next five years. Our Annual … Continue reading Cured by Stem Cells
Stem cell heroes: patients who had life-saving, life-changing treatments inspire CIRM Board
It’s not an easy thing to bring an entire Board of Directors to tears, but four extraordinary people and their families managed to do just that at the last CIRM Board meeting of 2016. The four are patients who have undergone life-saving or life-changing stem cell therapies that were funded by our agency. The … Continue reading Stem cell heroes: patients who had life-saving, life-changing treatments inspire CIRM Board
‘Right To Try’ laws called ‘Right To Beg’ by Stem Cell Advocates
In recent years, ‘Right to Try’ laws have spread rapidly across the US, getting approved in 32 states, with at least three more states trying to pass their own versions. The organization behind the laws says they serve a simple purpose: ‘Right To Try’ allows terminally ill Americans to try medicines that have passed Phase … Continue reading ‘Right To Try’ laws called ‘Right To Beg’ by Stem Cell Advocates
California’s stem cell agency rounds up the year with two more big hits
It’s traditional to end the year with a look back at what you hoped to accomplish and an assessment of what you did. By that standard 2016 has been a pretty good year for us at CIRM. Yesterday our governing Board approved funding for two new clinical trials, one to help kidney transplant patients, the … Continue reading California’s stem cell agency rounds up the year with two more big hits
With an eye toward 2020, CIRM looks at clinical milestones achieved in 2016
One year ago, CIRM announced its strategic plan for the next five years. It’s a bold vision to maximize our impact in stem cell research by accelerating stem cell treatments to patients with unmet medical needs. Our strategic plan, which can be found on our website, details how CIRM will invest in five main program … Continue reading With an eye toward 2020, CIRM looks at clinical milestones achieved in 2016
Why Goldilocks could provide the answer to changing the way FDA regulates stem cells
One of the hottest topics of the past year in regenerative medicine has been the discussion about the need for regulatory reform at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) so it’s no surprise that topic was the subject of the first main panel discussion at the 2016 World Stem Cell Summit in West Palm Beach, … Continue reading Why Goldilocks could provide the answer to changing the way FDA regulates stem cells
How stem cells are helping change the face of medicine, one pioneering patient at a time
One of the many great pleasures of my job is that I get to meet so many amazing people. I get to know the researchers who are changing the face of medicine, but even more extraordinary are the people who are helping them do it, the patients. Attacking Cancer It’s humbling to meet people like … Continue reading How stem cells are helping change the face of medicine, one pioneering patient at a time
Translating great stem cell ideas into effective therapies
In science, there are a lot of terms that could easily mystify people without a research background; “translational” is not one of them. Translational research simply means to take findings from basic research and advance them into something that is ready to be tested in people in a clinical trial. Yesterday our Governing Board approved … Continue reading Translating great stem cell ideas into effective therapies
The Stem Cellar 