It’s good to have a backup plan Our lungs are amazing things. They take in the air we breathe and move it into our blood so that oxygen can be carried to every part of our body. They’re also surprisingly large. If you were to spread out a lung – and I have no idea … Continue reading Stem Cell Roundup: Backup cells to repair damaged lungs; your unique bowels; and California Cures, 71 ways CIRM is changing the face of medicine
Disease Areas
Stem cell study holds out promise for kidney disease
Kidney failure is the Rodney Dangerfield of diseases, it really doesn’t get the respect it deserves. An estimated 660,000 Americans suffer from kidney failure and around 47,000 people die from it every year. That’s more than die from breast or prostate cancer. But now a new study has identified a promising stem cell candidate that … Continue reading Stem cell study holds out promise for kidney disease
Celebrating Exciting CIRM-Funded Discovery Research on World Parkinson’s Day
April 11th is World Parkinson’s Disease Awareness Day. To mark the occasion, we’re featuring the work of CIRM-funded researchers who are pursuing new, promising ideas to treat patients with this debilitating neurodegenerative disease. Birgitt Schuele, Parkinson’s Institute CIRM Grant: Quest Award – Discovery Stage Research Research: Birgitt and her team at the Parkinson’s Institute in … Continue reading Celebrating Exciting CIRM-Funded Discovery Research on World Parkinson’s Day
Gladstone researchers tame toxic protein that carries increased Alzheimer’s risk
With a clinical trial failure rate of 99% over the past 15 years or so, the path to a cure for Alzheimer’s disease is riddled with disappointment. In many cases, candidate therapies looked very promising in pre-clinical animal studies, only to flop when tested in people. Now, a CIRM-funded Nature Medicine study by researchers at … Continue reading Gladstone researchers tame toxic protein that carries increased Alzheimer’s risk
The moment of truth. A video about the stem cell therapy that could help millions of people going blind.
“No matter how much one prepares, the first patient is always something very special.” That’s how Dr. Mark Humayun describes his feelings as he prepared to deliver a CIRM-funded stem cell therapy to help someone going blind from dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Humayun, an ophthalmologist and stem cell researcher at USC, spent years developing … Continue reading The moment of truth. A video about the stem cell therapy that could help millions of people going blind.
Encouraging news about CIRM-funded clinical trial targeting vision loss
Dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of vision loss in the U.S. By 2020 it’s estimated that as many as three million Americans will be affected by the disease. Right now, there is no effective therapy. But that could change. A new CIRM-funded clinical trial is showing promise in helping people battling … Continue reading Encouraging news about CIRM-funded clinical trial targeting vision loss
UC Davis researchers make stem cell-derived mini-brains that contain blood vessels
Growing neurons on a flat petri dish is a great way to study the inner workings of nerve signals in the brain. But I think it's safe to argue that a two-dimensional lawn of cells doesn’t capture all the complexity of our intricate, cauliflower-shaped brains. Then again, cracking open the skulls of living patients is … Continue reading UC Davis researchers make stem cell-derived mini-brains that contain blood vessels
Stem Cell Roundup: Crafty Cancer, Fighting Viruses, and Brainstorm ALS Trial Expands to Canada
TGIF! Here is your weekly dose of stem cell news... Shapeshifting cancer cells This week’s awesome stem cell photo comes with a bizarre story and bonus video footage. Researchers at Duke University were studying lung tumor samples and discovered something that didn’t quite belong. Inside the lung tumors were miniature parts of the digestive system … Continue reading Stem Cell Roundup: Crafty Cancer, Fighting Viruses, and Brainstorm ALS Trial Expands to Canada
East Coast Company to Sell Research Products Derived from CIRM’s Stem Cell Bank
With patient-derived induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) in hand, any lab scientist can follow recipes that convert these embryonic-like stem cells into specific cell types for studying human disease in a petri dish. iPSCs derived from a small skin sample from a Alzheimer’s patient, for instance, can be specialized into neurons – the kind of … Continue reading East Coast Company to Sell Research Products Derived from CIRM’s Stem Cell Bank
Stem Cell Agency Heads to Inland Empire for Free Patient Advocate Event
I am embarrassed to admit that I have never been to the Inland Empire in California, the area that extends from San Bernardino to Riverside counties. That’s about to change. On Monday, April 16th CIRM is taking a road trip to UC Riverside, and we’re inviting you to join us. We are holding a special, … Continue reading Stem Cell Agency Heads to Inland Empire for Free Patient Advocate Event
The Stem Cellar 