Yesterday the CIRM Board approved funding for our 50th clinical trial (you can read about that here) It was an historic moment for us and to celebrate we decided to go back in history and hear from the very first person to be treated in a CIRM-funded clinical trial. Rich Lajara was treated in the … Continue reading Stem Cell Agency celebrates 50 clinical trials with patient #1
Disease Areas
Stem Cell Agency Board Approves 50th Clinical Trial
May 4th, 2011 marked a landmark moment for the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM). On that day the Stem Cell Agency’s Board voted to invest in its first ever clinical trial, which was also the first clinical trial to use cells derived from embryonic stem cells. Today the Stem Cell Agency reached another landmark, … Continue reading Stem Cell Agency Board Approves 50th Clinical Trial
NIH-scientists are told to stop buying fetal tissue for research, highlighting importance of CIRM’s voter-created independence
The news that President Trump’s administration has told scientists employed by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) that they can’t buy any new human fetal tissue for research has left many scientists frustrated and worried. The news has also highlighted the reason why voters created CIRM in the first place and the importance of having … Continue reading NIH-scientists are told to stop buying fetal tissue for research, highlighting importance of CIRM’s voter-created independence
CIRM-funded research is helping unlock the secrets behind “chemo brain”
Every year millions of Americans undergo chemotherapy. The goal of the treatment is to destroy cancer, but along the way more than half of the people treated lose something else. They suffer from something called “chemo brain” which causes problems with thinking and memory. In some cases it can be temporary, lasting a few months. … Continue reading CIRM-funded research is helping unlock the secrets behind “chemo brain”
Stories that Caught Our Eye: New ways to heal old bones; and keeping track of cells once they are inside you
How Youth Factor Can Help Repair Old Bones As we get older things that used to heal quickly tend to take a little longer to get better. In some cases, a lot longer. Take bones for example. A fracture in someone who is in their 70’s often doesn’t heal as quickly, or completely, as in … Continue reading Stories that Caught Our Eye: New ways to heal old bones; and keeping track of cells once they are inside you
New hope for stem cell therapy in patients with leukemia
Of the many different kinds of cancer that affect humans, leukemia is the most common in young people. As with many types cancer, doctors mostly turn to chemotherapy to treat patients. Chemotherapy, however, comes with its own share of issues, primarily severe side effects and the constant threat of disease recurrence. Stem cell therapy treatment … Continue reading New hope for stem cell therapy in patients with leukemia
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
Researcher claims to have made first gene-edited baby. But did it really happen?
Remember the Raelians? Probably not. But way back in 2002 the group, some described them as a cult, claimed it had created the world’s first cloned baby. The news made headlines all around the world raising fears we were stepping into uncharted scientific territory. Several weeks later the scientist brought in by the Raelians to … Continue reading Researcher claims to have made first gene-edited baby. But did it really happen?
Japanese scientists implant first Parkinson’s patient with replacement neurons derived from stem cells
Currently, more than 10 million people worldwide live with Parkinson’s disease (PD). By 2020, in the US alone, people living with Parkinson’s are expected to outnumber the cases of multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophy and Lou Gehrig’s disease combined. There is no cure for Parkinson’s and treatment options consist of medications that patients ultimately develop tolerance … Continue reading Japanese scientists implant first Parkinson’s patient with replacement neurons derived from stem cells
CIRM invests $1.3 million to study stem cells in metabolic liver disease
Metabolic liver disease, is an emerging public health concern in Western countries, but has largely been overshadowed by health issues such as cancer and diabetes. Chronic liver disease (of which metabolic liver disease is a significant contributor) however, is a significant public health concern, evidenced by its contribution to nearly 2 million deaths per year … Continue reading CIRM invests $1.3 million to study stem cells in metabolic liver disease
The Stem Cellar 