Stopping brain cancer in its tracks. Scientists at Stanford Medicine discovered that you can halt aggressive brain cancers called high-grade gliomas by cutting off their supply of a signaling protein called neuroligin-3. Their research, which was funded by CIRM and the NIH, was published this week in the journal Nature. The Stanford team, led by … Continue reading Stem Cell Stories That Caught Our Eye: Halting Brain Cancer, Parkinson’s disease and Stem Cell Awareness Day
Cancer
Protein that turns normal cells into cancer stem cells offers target to fight colon cancer
Colon cancer is a global killer. Each year more than one million people worldwide are diagnosed with it; more than half a million die from it. If diagnosed early enough the standard treatment involves surgery, chemotherapy, radiation or targeted drug therapy to destroy the tumors. In many cases this may work. But in some cases, … Continue reading Protein that turns normal cells into cancer stem cells offers target to fight colon cancer
UCLA launches CIRM-funded clinical trial using engineered blood stem cells to fight hard-to-treat cancers
It’s not uncommon for biomedical institutes as well as their funding partners to announce through press releases that a clinical trial they’re running has gotten off the ground and has started to enroll patients. For an outsider looking in, it may seem like they’re jumping the gun a bit. No patients have received the therapy. … Continue reading UCLA launches CIRM-funded clinical trial using engineered blood stem cells to fight hard-to-treat cancers
Taming the Zika virus to kill cancer stem cells that drive lethal brain tumor
An out of control flame can be very dangerous, even life-threatening. But when harnessed, that same flame sustains life in the form of warm air, a source of light, and a means to cook. A similar duality holds true for viruses. Once it infects the body, a virus can replicate like wildfire and cause serious … Continue reading Taming the Zika virus to kill cancer stem cells that drive lethal brain tumor
Confusing cancer to kill it
Confusion is not a state of mind that we usually seek out. Being bewildered is bad enough when it happens naturally, so why would anyone actively pursue it? But now some researchers are doing just that, using confusion to not just block a deadly blood cancer, but to kill it. Today the CIRM Board approved … Continue reading Confusing cancer to kill it
New research suggests taking a daily dose of vitamin C could prevent leukemia
Did you take your vitamins today? It’s not always easy to remember with such busy lives, but after you read this blog, you’ll be sure to make vitamins part of your daily routine if you haven’t already! Two recent studies, published in the journals Nature and Cell, reported that vitamin C has a direct impact … Continue reading New research suggests taking a daily dose of vitamin C could prevent leukemia
CIRM weekly stem cell roundup: stomach bacteria & cancer; vitamin C may block leukemia; stem cells bring down a 6’2″ 246lb football player
Stomach bacteria crank up stem cell renewal, may be link to gastric cancer (Todd Dubnicoff) The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that two-thirds of the world’s population is infected with H. pylori, a type of bacteria that thrives in the harsh acidic conditions of the stomach. Data accumulated over the past few decades … Continue reading CIRM weekly stem cell roundup: stomach bacteria & cancer; vitamin C may block leukemia; stem cells bring down a 6’2″ 246lb football player
Brain stem cells unintentionally talk with brain tumors, allowing their spread
A stem cell’s capacity to lay quiet and, when needed, to self-renew plays a key role in restoring and maintaining the health of our organs. Unfortunately, cancer stem cells possess that same property allowing them to evade radiation and chemotherapy treatments which leads to tumor regrowth. And a CIRM-funded study published today in Cell shows … Continue reading Brain stem cells unintentionally talk with brain tumors, allowing their spread
Treatments, cures and clinical trials: an in-person update on CIRM’s progress
Patients and Patient Advocates are at the heart of everything we do at CIRM. That’s why we are holding three free public events in the next few months focused on updating you on the stem cell research we are funding, and our plans for the future. Right now we have 33 projects that we have … Continue reading Treatments, cures and clinical trials: an in-person update on CIRM’s progress
UC Irvine scientists engineer stem cells to “feel” cancer and destroy it
By blocking cell division, chemotherapy drugs take advantage of the fact that cancer cells multiply rapidly in the body. Though this treatment can extend and even save the lives of cancer patients, it’s somewhat like destroying an ant hill with an atomic bomb: there’s a lot of collateral damage. The treatment is infused through the … Continue reading UC Irvine scientists engineer stem cells to “feel” cancer and destroy it
The Stem Cellar 