Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of vision loss in the elderly. Now, new research using 3D organoid models of the eye has uncovered clues as to what happens in AMD, and how to stop it. In AMD, a person loses their central vision because the light sensitive cells in the macula, a … Continue reading Lab-made retinas offer a new approach to battling vision loss
Age-Related Disease
How the Tooth Fairy is helping unlock the secrets of autism
Our 2021-22 Annual Report is now online. It’s filled with information about the work we have done over the last year (we are on a fiscal calendar year from July 1 – June 30), the people who have helped us do that work, and some of the people who have benefited from that work. One … Continue reading How the Tooth Fairy is helping unlock the secrets of autism
The researcher who is following her bliss, and tackling diseases of aging at the same time
Dr. Jill Helms, and associate! Photo courtesy Stanford University Jill Helms is not your average Stanford University faculty member. Yes, she is a professor in the Department of Surgery. Yes, she has published lots of scientific studies. Yes, she is a stem cell scientist (funded by CIRM). And yes, she is playing a leading role … Continue reading The researcher who is following her bliss, and tackling diseases of aging at the same time
Why people seek out unproven and potentially unsafe stem cell treatments
Every day I field phone calls and emails from people looking for a stem cell therapy to help them cope with everything from arthritis to cancer. Often, they will mention that they saw an ad for a clinic online or in a local newspaper claiming they had stem cell therapies that could help fix anything … Continue reading Why people seek out unproven and potentially unsafe stem cell treatments
Stem Cell Agency Board Invests in 19 Discovery Research Programs Targeting Cancers, Heart Disease and Other Disorders
THIS BLOG IS ALSO AVAILABLE AS AN AUDIO CAST Dr. Judy Shizuru, Stanford University While stem cell and gene therapy research has advanced dramatically in recent years, there are still many unknowns and many questions remaining about how best to use these approaches in developing therapies. That’s why the governing Board of the California Institute … Continue reading Stem Cell Agency Board Invests in 19 Discovery Research Programs Targeting Cancers, Heart Disease and Other Disorders
Can regenerative medicine turn back the clock on aging?
One of my favorite phrases is “standing room only”. I got a chance to use it last week when we held a panel discussion on whether regenerative medicine could turn back the clock on aging. The event was at the annual conference of the International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR) and more than 150 … Continue reading Can regenerative medicine turn back the clock on aging?
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
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
Study shows sleep deprivation impairs stem cells in the cornea
We spend around one third of our life sleeping—or at least we should. Not getting enough sleep can have serious consequences on many aspects of our health and has been linked to high blood pressure, heart disease and stroke. A study by the American Sleep Apnea Association found that some 70 percent of Americans report getting … Continue reading Study shows sleep deprivation impairs stem cells in the cornea
The Stem Cellar 