One more good reason to exercise

THIS BLOG IS ALSO AVAILABLE AS AN AUDIO CAST As we start the New Year with a fervent hope that it’s better than the last two, many people are making a resolution to get more exercise. A new study suggests that might not just benefit the body, it could also help the brain. At least … Continue reading One more good reason to exercise

How do Zebrafish grow ears? It’s quite transparent

THIS BLOG IS ALSO AVAILABLE AS AN AUDIO CAST Zebrafish One of the hopes of regenerative medicine is that one day we will be able to use stem cells to regrow damaged organs, avoiding the need for a transplant. It’s a fascinating idea, supported in part by the ability of some creatures, such as Axolotls … Continue reading How do Zebrafish grow ears? It’s quite transparent

How some brilliant research may have uncovered a potential therapy for Alzheimer’s 

Dr. Nicole Koutsodendris, photo courtesy Gladstone Institutes In the world of scientific research, the people doing clinical trials tend to suck up all the oxygen in the room. They’re the stars, the ones who are bringing potential therapies to patients. However, there’s another group of researchers who toil away in the background, but who are … Continue reading How some brilliant research may have uncovered a potential therapy for Alzheimer’s 

Newly-developed organoid mimics how gut and heart tissues arise cooperatively from stem cells 

Gladstone Senior Investigator Todd McDevitt, PhD said this first-of-its-kind organoid could serve as a new tool for laboratory research and improve our understanding of how developing organs and tissues cooperate and instruct each other. 

Creating a New Model for Diversity in Scientific and Medical Research

THIS BLOG IS ALSO AVAILABLE AS AN AUDIO CAST Nature Cell Biology cover The global pandemic has highlighted many of the inequities in our health care system, with the virus hitting communities of color the hardest. That has led to calls for greater diversity, equity and inclusion at every level of scientific research and, ultimately, … Continue reading Creating a New Model for Diversity in Scientific and Medical Research

A year unlike any other – a look back at one year post Prop 14

THIS BLOG IS ALSO AVAILABLE AS AN AUDIO CAST State flag of California 2020 was, by any standards, a pretty wacky year. Pandemic. Political convulsions. And a huge amount of uncertainty as to the funding of life-saving therapies at CIRM. Happily, those all turned out OK. We got vaccines to take care of COVID. The … Continue reading A year unlike any other – a look back at one year post Prop 14

Promising new approach for people with epilepsy

Image courtesy Epilepsy.com THIS BLOG IS ALSO AVAILABLE AS AN AUDIO CAST A new therapeutic approach, supported by CIRM, that blocks the signals in the brain that can cause epilepsy has been given permission by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to be tested in a clinical trial. Nearly 3.5 million Americans suffer from … Continue reading Promising new approach for people with epilepsy

COVID is a real pain in the ear

THIS BLOG IS ALSO AVAILABLE AS AN AUDIO CAST The more you learn about COVID-19 the more there is to dislike about it. The global death toll from the virus is now more than five million and for those who survive there can be long-term health consequences. We know COVID can attack the lungs, heart … Continue reading COVID is a real pain in the ear

A hair raising tale

THIS BLOG CAN ALSO BE LISTENED TO AS AN AUDIO CAST For many men, losing their hair is not just something that happens with age, it’s traumatic. A survey of men from the UK, France, Germany, Italy and Spain found that more than 70% of men who reported losing their hair said it was an … Continue reading A hair raising tale

A step forward in finding a treatment for a deadly neurological disorder

THIS BLOG IS ALSO AVAILABLE AS AN AUDIO CAST MRI section of a brain affected by ALS with the front section of the brain highlighted Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, is a nasty disease that steadily attacks nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. It’s pretty much always fatal … Continue reading A step forward in finding a treatment for a deadly neurological disorder