Our mission at CIRM is to accelerate the development of stem cell therapies for patients with unmet medical needs. One way we have been doing that is funding promising research to help it get through what’s called the “Valley of Death.” This is the time between a product or project showing promise and the time … Continue reading Partnering with Big Pharma to benefit patients
Cancer
Stem cell stories that caught our eye: Immune therapy for HIV, nerves grown on diamonds and how stem cells talk
Here are some stem cell stories that caught our eye this past week. Some are groundbreaking science, others are of personal interest to us, and still others are just fun. Trendy CAR T therapy tried on HIV. The hottest trend in cancer therapy today is using CAR-T cells to attack and rid the body of … Continue reading Stem cell stories that caught our eye: Immune therapy for HIV, nerves grown on diamonds and how stem cells talk
One man’s story points to hope against a deadly skin cancer
One of the great privileges and pleasures of working at the stem cell agency is the chance to meet and work with some remarkable people, such as my colleagues here at CIRM and the researchers we support. But for me the most humbling, and by far the most rewarding experience, is having a chance to … Continue reading One man’s story points to hope against a deadly skin cancer
Stem cell stories that caught our eye: sickle cell patient data, vaccine link to leukemia protection, faster cell analysis
Here are some stem cell stories that caught our eye this past week. Some are groundbreaking science, others are of personal interest to us, and still others are just fun. Good news from sickle cell clinical trial. It is always satisfying to report positive results from human clinical trials using stem cells even when we … Continue reading Stem cell stories that caught our eye: sickle cell patient data, vaccine link to leukemia protection, faster cell analysis
Brain’s Own Activity Can Fuel Growth of Deadly Brain Tumors, CIRM-Funded Study Finds
Not all brain tumors are created equal—some are far more deadly than others. Among the most deadly is a type of tumor called high-grade glioma or HGG. Most distressingly, HGG’s are the leading cause of brain tumor death in both children and adults. And despite extraordinary progress in cancer research as a whole, survival rates … Continue reading Brain’s Own Activity Can Fuel Growth of Deadly Brain Tumors, CIRM-Funded Study Finds
Stem Cell Scientists Reconstruct Disease in a Dish; Gain Insight into Deadly Form of Bone Cancer
The life of someone with Li-Fraumeni Syndrome (LFS) is not a pleasant one. A rare genetic disorder that usually runs in families, this syndrome is characterized by heightened risk of developing cancer—multiple types of cancer—at a very young age. People with LFS, as the syndrome is often called, are especially susceptible to osteosarcoma, a form … Continue reading Stem Cell Scientists Reconstruct Disease in a Dish; Gain Insight into Deadly Form of Bone Cancer
Cancer Cells Mimic Blood Vessels to Colonize the Body’s Farthest Reaches
Scientists at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory have just uncovered the latest dirty trick in the cancer playbook—one that spurs the cancer cells to spread throughout the body and evade treatment. But importantly, they believe they may have found a way to counter it. Reporting today in the journal Nature, Cold Spring Harbor researchers describe how … Continue reading Cancer Cells Mimic Blood Vessels to Colonize the Body’s Farthest Reaches
Breast Cancer Tumors Recruit Immune Cells to the Dark Side
We rely on our immune system to stave off all classes of disease—but what happens when the very system responsible for keeping us healthy turns to the dark side? In new research published today, scientists uncover new evidence that reveals how breast cancer tumors can actually recruit immune cells to spur the spread of disease. … Continue reading Breast Cancer Tumors Recruit Immune Cells to the Dark Side
Shape-Shifting Pancreas Cells Set Stage for Development of Deadly Cancer
After being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, the likely outcome is—in a word—bleak. At a time when cancers can be treated so successfully as to give the patient a good quality of life, pancreatic cancer remains one of the last holdouts. It is the fourth most deadly form of cancer in the United States. One in … Continue reading Shape-Shifting Pancreas Cells Set Stage for Development of Deadly Cancer
Clearing up chemobrain: cancer therapy-induced memory problems reversed by stem cells
You'd think receiving a cancer diagnosis and then suffering through chemo and/or radiation therapy would be traumatic enough. But as many as 75% of cancer survivors are afflicted by memory and attention problems long after their cancer therapy. This condition, often called “chemobrain”, shouldn’t be misunderstood as being confined to cancers of the brain. A … Continue reading Clearing up chemobrain: cancer therapy-induced memory problems reversed by stem cells
The Stem Cellar 