Anytime you read a news headline that claims a new discovery "may treat all cancer" it's time to put your skeptic's hat on. After all, there have been so many over-hyped "discoveries" over the years that later flopped, that it would be natural to question the headline writer. And yet, this time, maybe, this one … Continue reading Rave reviews for new Killer-T Cell study
Disease Areas
It’s official: the state of regenerative medicine is strong
A panel discussion to a packed house at the annual ARM State of the Industry briefing Calling it a “year of dramatic impact for patients” Janet Lambert, the CEO of the Alliance for Regenerative Medicine (ARM), gave the annual “State of the Industry” briefing today in San Francisco. The briefing is a traditional kick-off event … Continue reading It’s official: the state of regenerative medicine is strong
Dashed Dreams and New Hope: A Quest to Cure Thymic Deficiency
By Kelly Shepard, PhD., CIRM's Associate Director, Discovery & Translation CIRM has previously blogged about advances in treating certain forms of “bubble baby” disease”, where a person is born with a defect in their blood forming stem cells that results in a deficient immune system, rendering them vulnerable to lethal infections by all manner of … Continue reading Dashed Dreams and New Hope: A Quest to Cure Thymic Deficiency
CIRM supported study of gene silencer blocks ALS degeneration, saves motor function
Dr. Martin Marsala, UC San Diego Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, is a neurodegenerative disease that destroys the nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. As a result of ALS, the motor neurons that enable bodily movement and muscle control are harmed, which can make it difficult to move, … Continue reading CIRM supported study of gene silencer blocks ALS degeneration, saves motor function
The Top CIRM Blogs of 2019
This year the most widely read blog was actually one we wrote back in 2018. It’s the transcript of a Facebook Live: “Ask the Stem Cell Team” event about strokes and stroke recovery. Because stroke is the third leading cause of death and disability in the US it’s probably no surprise this blog has lasting … Continue reading The Top CIRM Blogs of 2019
Facebook Live: Ask the Stem Cell Team
On December 12th we hosted our latest 'Facebook Live: Ask the Stem Cell Team' event. This time around we really did mean team. We had a host of our Science Officers answering questions from friends and supporters of CIRM. We got a lot of questions and didn't have enough time to address them all. So … Continue reading Facebook Live: Ask the Stem Cell Team
Brain wave of an idea is picked as one of the top science stories of the year
Dr. Alysson Muotri: Photo courtesy UC San Diego It's always gratifying when one of the projects you have funded starts to show promising results. It says your faith in the research and the researcher were well founded. But it's also fun when the project you fund turns up some really cool findings and is picked … Continue reading Brain wave of an idea is picked as one of the top science stories of the year
Journalism Pioneer and Founder of Latino Cancer Institute Joins Stem Cell Agency Board
Ysabel Duron Ysabel Duron, a pioneering award-winning Latina journalist, and a leading figure in cancer education in the Latino community in the US, has been appointed to the governing Board of the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine. State Controller Betty Yee made the appointment saying: “Ms. Duron’s personal perspective as a (cancer) survivor and … Continue reading Journalism Pioneer and Founder of Latino Cancer Institute Joins Stem Cell Agency Board
CIRM’s Alpha Stem Cell Clinics Given High Profile Role in Clinical Trials Network
Sue and Bill Gross Hall Photo by Hoang Xuan Pham/ UC Irvine There are a growing number of predatory clinics in California and around the US, offering unproven stem cell therapies. For patients seeking a legitimate therapy it can often be hard finding a reliable clinic, one offering treatments based on the rigorous science required … Continue reading CIRM’s Alpha Stem Cell Clinics Given High Profile Role in Clinical Trials Network
An off-the-shelf cancer killer
iPS Cell: Photo from the lab of Kathrin Plath at UCLA One of the hottest areas in cancer research right now is the use of CAR-T treatments. These use the patient’s own re-engineered immune system cells to target and kill the tumor. But the thing that makes it so appealing – using the patient’s own … Continue reading An off-the-shelf cancer killer