Dr. Larry Goldstein, UC San Diego It’s not often you get a chance to hear some of the brightest minds around talk about their stem cell research and what it could mean for you, me and everyone else. That’s why we’re delighted to be bringing some of the sharpest tools in the stem cell shed … Continue reading Stem Cell All-Stars, All For You
Kidney disease
Perseverance: from theory to therapy. Our story over the last year – and a half
Some of the stars of our Annual Report It’s been a long time coming. Eighteen months to be precise. Which is a peculiarly long time for an Annual Report. The world is certainly a very different place today than when we started, and yet our core mission hasn’t changed at all, except to spring into … Continue reading Perseverance: from theory to therapy. Our story over the last year – and a half
Huge honor, hugely deserved for CIRM-funded stem cell researcher
Dr. Andy McMahon: Photo courtesy USC Andy McMahon is one of the most understated, humble and low-key people you are ever likely to meet. He’s also one of the smartest. And he has a collection of titles to prove it. He is the W.M. Keck Provost and University Professor in USC’s departments of Stem Cell … Continue reading Huge honor, hugely deserved for CIRM-funded stem cell researcher
CIRM Board Meeting Highlights Important Updates to Clinical Trials
Dr. Maria T. Millan, President and CEO of CIRM, presenting the President's Report This past Thursday the governing Board of the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) were presented with an update on CIRM’s clinical portfolio, which to date includes 60 clinical trials in various areas including kidney failure, cancer, and other rare diseases. The … Continue reading CIRM Board Meeting Highlights Important Updates to Clinical Trials
Donor blood stem cells and T cells could help patients wean off immunosuppressive drugs after organ transplant
Dr. Samuel Strober is refining a process that eliminates the need for the many immunosuppresant drugs normally required after a transplant.Image credit: Stanford Medicine News Center In 2019, there were over 23,000 kidney transplants in the United States, according to figures from the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS). These transplants can be lifesaving, but … Continue reading Donor blood stem cells and T cells could help patients wean off immunosuppressive drugs after organ transplant
The Most Important Gift of All
Photo courtesy American Hospital Association There are many players who have a key role in helping make a stem cell therapy work. The scientists who develop the therapy, the medical team who deliver it and funders like CIRM who provide the money to make this all happen. But vital as they are, in some therapies … Continue reading The Most Important Gift of All
Rare Disease Gets Big Boost from California’s Stem Cell Agency
UC Irvine's Dr. Leslie Thompson and patient advocate Frances Saldana after the CIRM Board vote to approve funding for Huntington's disease If you were looking for a poster child for an unmet medical need Huntington’s disease (HD) would be high on the list. It’s a devastating disease that attacks the brain, steadily destroying the ability … Continue reading Rare Disease Gets Big Boost from California’s Stem Cell Agency
71 for Proposition 71
Proposition 71 is the state ballot initiative that created California's Stem Cell Agency. This month, the Agency reached another milestone when the 71st clinical trial was initiated in the CIRM Alpha Stem Cell Clinics (ASCC) Network. The ASCC Network deploys specialized teams of doctors, nurses and laboratory technicians to conduct stem cell clinical trials at … Continue reading 71 for Proposition 71
How CIRM support helped a promising approach to type 1 diabetes get vital financial backing
The “Valley of Death” sounds like a scary place from “Lord of the Rings” or “Game of Thrones” that our heroes have to navigate to reach safety. The reality is not that different. It’s the space that young companies have to navigate from having a good idea to getting financial backing, so they can move … Continue reading How CIRM support helped a promising approach to type 1 diabetes get vital financial backing
Stories that caught our eye: Is a Texas law opening up access to stem cell treatments working? Another CIRM-funded company gets good news from the FDA.
In 2017 Texas passed a sweeping new law, HB 810, which allowed medical clinics to provide “investigational stem cell treatments to patients with certain severe chronic diseases or terminal illnesses.” Those in favor of the law argued that patients battling life-threatening or life-changing diseases should have the right to try stem cell therapies that were … Continue reading Stories that caught our eye: Is a Texas law opening up access to stem cell treatments working? Another CIRM-funded company gets good news from the FDA.