Explaining COVID can be a pitch

When people ask me what I do at CIRM I sometimes half-jokingly tell them that I’m the official translator: I take complex science and turn it into everyday English. That’s important. The taxpayers of California have a right to know how their money is being spent and how it might benefit them. But that message … Continue reading Explaining COVID can be a pitch

Scientists create “drug-like” chemical that may inhibit pancreatic cancer stem cells

John R. Cashman, Ph.D. Supreme Court justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg's death this past week after battling stage 4 pancreatic cancer is a grim reminder of how aggressive the disease can be. In fact, pancreatic cancer will soon be the second leading cause of cancer-related death for individuals in the United States. Unfortunately, it is known … Continue reading Scientists create “drug-like” chemical that may inhibit pancreatic cancer stem cells

Scientists develop faster, smarter way to classify tumors using single-cell technology

Dr. Stephen Lin, CIRM Senior Science Officer By Dr. Stephen Lin Single-cell.  It is the new buzzword in biology.  Single-cell biology refers to the in-depth characterization of individual cells in an organ or similar microenvironment.  Every organ, like the brain or heart, is composed of thousands to millions of cells.  Single-cell biology breaks those organs … Continue reading Scientists develop faster, smarter way to classify tumors using single-cell technology

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

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

Precision guided therapy from a patient’s own cells

Dr. Wesley McKeithan, Stanford Imagine having a tool you could use to quickly test lots of different drugs against a disease to see which one works best. That’s been a goal of stem cell researchers for many years but turning that idea into a reality hasn’t been easy. That may be about to change. A … Continue reading Precision guided therapy from a patient’s own cells

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

Scientists develop immune evading pancreas organoids to treat type 1 diabetes

By Stephen Lin, PhD., CIRM Senior Science Officer A diabetic child is checking her blood sugar level (self glycaemia). Type 1 diabetes affects millions of people.  It is a disease where beta islet cells in the pancreas are targeted by the body’s own immune system, destroying the ability to produce insulin.  Without insulin, the body … Continue reading Scientists develop immune evading pancreas organoids to treat type 1 diabetes

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

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