Today marks two significant events for the Black community. June 19th is celebrated as Juneteenth, the day when federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas to ensure that the enslaved people there were free. That moment came two and a half years after President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation into law. June 19th is also … Continue reading Two reasons to remember June 19th
Discovery Research
Creating a ‘bespoke’ approach to rare diseases
THIS BLOG IS ALSO AVAILABLE AS AN AUDIO CAST Up until recently the word “bespoke” meant just one thing to me, a hand-made suit, customized and fitted to you. There’s a street in London, Saville Row, that specializes in these suits. They’re gorgeous. They’re also very expensive and so I thought I’d never have a … Continue reading Creating a ‘bespoke’ approach to rare diseases
Stem cells help researchers map out glaucoma in search for new treatments
Glaucoma is the world’s leading cause of irreversible blindness. There is no cure and current treatments are only able to slow down the progression of the disease. Now research using stem cells to create a genetic blueprint of glaucoma is giving scientist a powerful new tool to combat the disease. Glaucoma occurs when healthy retinal … Continue reading Stem cells help researchers map out glaucoma in search for new treatments
Join us to hear how stem cell and gene therapy are taking on diseases of aging
It is estimated that as many as 90 percent of people in industrialized countries who die every day, die from diseases of aging such as heart disease, stroke, and cancer. Of those still alive the numbers aren’t much more reassuring. More than 80 percent of people over the age of 65 have a chronic medical … Continue reading Join us to hear how stem cell and gene therapy are taking on diseases of aging
The power of the patient advocate: how a quick visit led to an $11M grant to fund a clinical trial
THIS BLOG IS ALSO AVAILABLE AS AN AUDIO CAST Members of NFOSD visiting UC Davis in 2013 At the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) we are fortunate in having enough money to fund the most promising research to be tested in a clinical trial. Those are expensive projects, often costing tens of millions of … Continue reading The power of the patient advocate: how a quick visit led to an $11M grant to fund a clinical trial
Replacement brain cells offer hope for Parkinson’s treatment
A colony of iPSCs from a Parkinson's patient (left) and dopaminergic neurons made from these iPSCs (right) to model PD. (Image credit: Jeanne Loring) A new study that used adult blood stem cells to create replacement brain nerve cells appears to help rats with Parkinson’s. In Parkinson’s, the disease attacks brain nerve cells that produce … Continue reading Replacement brain cells offer hope for Parkinson’s treatment
Smoking marijuana could be bad for your heart, but there is an unusual remedy
THIS BLOG IS ALSO AVAILABLE AS AN AUDIO CAST Smoking medical marijuana: Photo courtesy Elsa Olofsson Millions of Americans use marijuana for medical reasons, such as reducing anxiety or helping ease the side effects of cancer therapy. Millions more turn to it for recreational reasons, saying it helps them relax. Now a new study says … Continue reading Smoking marijuana could be bad for your heart, but there is an unusual remedy
It’s hard to be modest when people keep telling you how good you are
THIS BLOG IS ALSO AVAILABLE AS AN AUDIO CAST I have a confession. Deep down I’m shallow. So when something I am part of is acknowledged as one of the best, I delight in it (my fellow bloggers Katie and Esteban also delight in it, I am just more shameless about letting everyone know.) And … Continue reading It’s hard to be modest when people keep telling you how good you are
The bootcamp helping in the fight against rare diseases
THIS BLOG IS ALSO AVAILABLE AS AN AUDIO CAST Dr. Emil Kakkis at the Rare Entrepreneur Bootcamp Imagine you or someone you love is diagnosed with a rare disease and then told, “There is no cure, there are no treatments and because it’s so rare no one is even doing any research into developing a … Continue reading The bootcamp helping in the fight against rare diseases
New funding opportunity in CIRM’s Discovery stage programs: the Foundation Awards
Applications for CIRM’s new Discovery stage Foundation Awards (DISC 0) are due May 26th, 2022 by 2:00 PM PDT. The California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) is pleased to announce a brand new funding opportunity within our Discovery stage programs, the DISC 0 Foundation Awards which will support rigorous studies addressing critical basic knowledge gaps in the … Continue reading New funding opportunity in CIRM’s Discovery stage programs: the Foundation Awards