From Undergraduate to Hero: Solano Student’s Life-Saving Bone Marrow Match Begins with One Swab

SCC student and CIRM trainee Jose Solorio donated bone marrow to save an 11-year-old patient's life in New York. In a remarkable display of compassion and scientific collaboration, Solano Community College (SCC) student Jose Solorio, a scholar in the college's biomanufacturing bachelor's program, has become a real-life hero. Through Solanoโ€™s partnership with the National Marrow … Continue reading From Undergraduate to Hero: Solano Student’s Life-Saving Bone Marrow Match Begins with One Swab

CIRM awards $26 million to boost clinical trials for cancer, heart, and rare diseases

The California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) is proud to announce the allocation of $26 million to support clinical research targeting a range of cancers, heart conditions, and rare diseases. This significant funding underscores CIRMโ€™s commitment to advancing innovative stem cell and gene therapy-based treatments through all stages of clinical trial development. This latest round … Continue reading CIRM awards $26 million to boost clinical trials for cancer, heart, and rare diseases

Gene therapy trial tests cancer-killing virus in brain tumorsย 

Dr. Noriyuki Kasahara from UCSF has been awarded $11.8 million by the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) to target newly diagnosed high-grade gliomas. This groundbreaking clinical trial aims to treat high-grade gliomas, one of the most challenging brain cancers to manage. ย ย These aggressive cancers develop in the brain or spinal cord and are notoriously … Continue reading Gene therapy trial tests cancer-killing virus in brain tumorsย 

Supporting a CAR-T cell trial for kidney cancer

Photo Credit: Allogene Therapeutics. Image of the ALLO-316 allogeneic CAR-T cell therapy. The California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) awarded $15 million to Dr. John Le Gall and his team at Allogene Therapeutics. This funding will support the development of ALLO-316, an innovative anti-CD70 CAR-T cell product designed to treat metastatic clear cell renal cell … Continue reading Supporting a CAR-T cell trial for kidney cancer

CIRM’s $31 million boost for cancer and eye disease research

The California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) recently approved nearly $31 million in funding, further cementing our commitment to advancing the field of regenerative medicine. This substantial investment aims to drive clinical research targeting various cancers and eye diseases.  CIRMโ€™s dedication to fostering innovative treatments is demonstrated through its clinical program, which funds eligible stem … Continue reading CIRM’s $31 million boost for cancer and eye disease research

Identifying a Potential New Stem Cell Treatment for Ovarian Cancer

Stock image of a uterus and ovaries model. The California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) has awarded a $5.3 million to Karen Aboody, MD of City of Hope for late-stage preclinical research to develop a neural stem cell mediated treatment for a chemo-resistant, metastatic ovarian cancer. Approximately 22,000 women are diagnosed with ovarian cancerโ€”the most … Continue reading Identifying a Potential New Stem Cell Treatment for Ovarian Cancer

CIRM Joins #GoGold Childhood Cancer Awareness Campaign

Photo courtesy of Stanford Medicine September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month and the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) is joining the campaign to #GoGold to raise awareness about childhood cancers and highlight our commitment to funding childhood cancer research.   The Impact of Childhood Cancer  Cancer remains the number one cause of death by disease for … Continue reading CIRM Joins #GoGold Childhood Cancer Awareness Campaign

CIRM board member Ysabel Duron appointed to National Cancer Advisory Board by President Biden

Ysabel Duron is an award-winning journalist, patient advocate, cancer survivor and board member of the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM).  Her list of achievements continues to grow, as President Biden has appointed Duron to National Cancer Advisory Board (NCAB), which plays an important role in setting the course for the national cancer research program.  … Continue reading CIRM board member Ysabel Duron appointed to National Cancer Advisory Board by President Biden

Investing in CAR T-cell therapyย to treat cancer

Photo credit: UC Regentsย  Theย California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM)ย is investing $4 million to support Dr. William Murphy and UC Davis researchers to develop and test aย chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapyย to treat various B-cell malignancies, ranging fromย lymphomasย toย leukemias.ย  In this Q&Aโ€”courtesy of UC Davis Healthโ€”Dr. Murphy discusses the importance of T-cell therapy and its implications … Continue reading Investing in CAR T-cell therapyย to treat cancer

Funding development of a vaccine for acute myelogenous leukemia (AML)

Dr. Karin Gaensler. Photo credit: Steve Babuljak/UCSF Adult acute myelogenous leukemiaโ€”also known as acute myeloid leukemia (AML)โ€”is a blood cancer in which the bone marrow makes a large number of abnormal blood cells.ย  About 20,000 new cases of AML are diagnosed each year in the US with a 5-year survival rate of around 29%. In … Continue reading Funding development of a vaccine for acute myelogenous leukemia (AML)