Ways to genetically alter stem cells just keep getting better

For science wonks the gene editing technique CRISPR appears in your email, Twitter feed, or journal reading daily, if not hourly. The incredibly easy and inexpensive way to edit the genes in cells has exploded in the past couple years and is increasingly being used to edit stem cells in the lab to study specific … Continue reading Ways to genetically alter stem cells just keep getting better

A new way to make heart stem cells could potentially repair the damage of heart disease

Today we’re going to talk about heart failure. It’s a sobering topic given that over 20 million people world wide are currently suffering from this disease. Heart failure happens when the body’s heart can no longer pump blood effectively, which can lead to many nasty side effects and inevitably hastens death. Typical strategies for treating … Continue reading A new way to make heart stem cells could potentially repair the damage of heart disease

Growing Stem Cell Research in California (Video)

How a Gladstone scientist is using bioengineering to push the pace of stem cell research At CIRM, we strive to fund the most promising stem cell research and speed the advancement of stem cell treatments to patients who need them. Because we are a state agency, we generally focus on funding scientists, universities, and companies … Continue reading Growing Stem Cell Research in California (Video)

Stem cell stories that caught our eye: heart muscle-on-a-chip, your own private microliver, the bloody holy grail and selfish sperm

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. Two hearts beat as one, or not Sorry for the pre-Valentine’s Day buzzkill but stem cell research published this past week points to a very … Continue reading Stem cell stories that caught our eye: heart muscle-on-a-chip, your own private microliver, the bloody holy grail and selfish sperm

A cardiac love triangle: how transcription factors interact to make a heart

 Here’s a heartfelt science story for all those Valentine’s day fans out there. Scientists from the Gladstone Institutes have identified how a group of transcription factors interact during embryonic development to make a healthy heart. Their work will increase our biological understanding of how the heart is formed and could produce new methods for treating … Continue reading A cardiac love triangle: how transcription factors interact to make a heart

CIRM Scholar Jessica Gluck on using stem cells to make biological pacemakers for the heart

As part of our CIRM scholar series, we feature the research accomplishments of students and postdocs that have received CIRM funding. I’d like to introduce you to one of our CIRM Scholars, Jessica Gluck. She’s currently a Postdoctoral Fellow at UC Davis working on human stem cell models of heart development. Jessica began her education … Continue reading CIRM Scholar Jessica Gluck on using stem cells to make biological pacemakers for the heart

Stem cell stories that caught our eye: affairs of the heart, better imaging of cells and pituitary glands in a dish

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. Matters of the heart not simple. The dozens of clinical trials using various types of stem cells to repair hearts after a heart attack have … Continue reading Stem cell stories that caught our eye: affairs of the heart, better imaging of cells and pituitary glands in a dish

Stem cell stories that caught our eye: colon cancer relapse and using age, electricity and a “mattress” to grow better hearts

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. Stem cells yield markers for relapse in colon cancer. Some colon cancer patients do fine after surgery without any chemotherapy, but it has been hard … Continue reading Stem cell stories that caught our eye: colon cancer relapse and using age, electricity and a “mattress” to grow better hearts

Regenerating damaged muscle after a heart attack

Images of clusters of heart muscle cells (in red and green) derived from human embryonic stem cells 40 days after transplantation. Courtesy UCLA Every year more than 735,000 Americans have a heart attack. Many of those who survive often have lasting damage to their heart muscle and are at increased risk for future attacks and … Continue reading Regenerating damaged muscle after a heart attack

CIRM scholar Ke Wei talks heart regeneration

“How do you mend a broken heart?” was the topic of one of our recent Stem Cellar blogs highlighting a stellar CIRM-funded publication on the regenerative abilities of the protein FSTL1 following heart injury. One of the master-minds behind this study is co-first author Ke Wei. Ke is a postdoc in Dr. Mark Mercola’s lab … Continue reading CIRM scholar Ke Wei talks heart regeneration