CIRM progression award to support research towards immunodeficiency

Dr. Caroline Kuo, a member of the Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research at UCLA In 2017, CIRM funded a discovery or early stage research project for Dr. Caroline Kuo at UCLA for a hereditary immune disorder known as X-Linked Hyper IgM Syndrome. The work has gone so well … Continue reading CIRM progression award to support research towards immunodeficiency

CIRM Board Approves Two New Discovery Research Projects for COVID-19

Dr. Karen Christman (left) and Dr. Lili Yang (right) This past Friday the governing Board of the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) approved two new discovery research project as part of the $5 million in emergency funding for COVID-19 related projects.  This brings the number of COVID-19 projects CIRM is supporting to 17, including three clinical trials. … Continue reading CIRM Board Approves Two New Discovery Research Projects for COVID-19

Lab-grown human sperm cells could unlock treatments for infertility

Dr. Miles Wilkinson: Photo courtesy UCSD Out of 100 couples in the US, around 12 or 13 will have trouble starting a family. In one third of those cases the problem is male infertility (one third is female infertility and the other third is a combination of factors). In the past treatment options for men … Continue reading Lab-grown human sperm cells could unlock treatments for infertility

CIRM Board Approves Third Clinical Trial for COVID-19

Dr. Xiaokui Zhang (left), Dr. Albert Wong (center), and Dr. Preet Chaudhary (right) Today the governing Board of the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) awarded $750,000 to Dr. Xiaokui Zhang at Celularity to conduct a clinical trial for the treatment of COVID-19.  This brings the total number of CIRM clinical trials to 64, including … Continue reading CIRM Board Approves Third Clinical Trial for COVID-19

Super charging killer cells to fight leukemia

Colorized scanning electron micrograph of a natural killer cell.Photo credit: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Racing car drivers are forever tinkering with their cars, trying to streamline them and soup up their engines because while fast is good, faster is better. Researchers do the same things with potential anti-cancer therapies, tinkering with them … Continue reading Super charging killer cells to fight leukemia

CIRM Board Approves Two Additional COVID-19 Projects

Dr. Vaithilingaraja Arumugaswami (left) and Dr. Song Li (right), UCLA Today the governing Board of the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) approved two additional projects as part of the $5 million in emergency funding for COVID-19 related projects. This brings the number of projects CIRM is supporting to 11, including two clinical trials. The Board awarded $349,999 … Continue reading CIRM Board Approves Two Additional COVID-19 Projects

Blocking pancreatic cancer stem cells

John Cashman Cancer stem cells are one of the main reasons why cancers are able to survive surgery, chemotherapy and radiation. They are able to hide from those therapies and, at a future date, emerge and spread the cancer in the body once again. Jionglia Cheng, PhD. Jionglia Cheng, PhD., the lead author of a … Continue reading Blocking pancreatic cancer stem cells

CIRM Board Approves Clinical Trials Targeting COVID-19 and Sickle Cell Disease

Coronavirus particles, illustration. Today the governing Board of the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) approved new clinical trials for COVID-19 and sickle cell disease (SCD) and two earlier stage projects to develop therapies for COVID-19. Dr. Michael Mathay, of the University of California at San Francisco, was awarded $750,000 for a clinical trial testing … Continue reading CIRM Board Approves Clinical Trials Targeting COVID-19 and Sickle Cell Disease

Promising results from CIRM-funded projects

Severe Leukocyte Adhesion Deficiency-1 (LAD-1) is a rare condition that causes the immune system to malfunction and reduces its ability to fight off viruses and bacteria. Over time the repeated infections can take a heavy toll on the body and dramatically shorten a person’s life. But now a therapy, developed by Rocket Pharmaceuticals, is showing … Continue reading Promising results from CIRM-funded projects

Helping the blind see – mice that is

When I first saw the headline for this story I thought of the nursery rhyme about the three blind mice. Finally, they’ll be able to see the farmer’s wife coming at them with a carving knife. But the real-world implications are of this are actually pretty exciting. Researchers at the National Institute of Health’s National … Continue reading Helping the blind see – mice that is