Besides their chubby cheeks and cute little toes, I think what makes newborns so precious is how vulnerable they are in those first few days and months of life. For instance, infants are particularly easy targets for infections of the gut caused by enteroviruses. While healthy adults infected with these viruses may exhibit mild cold … Continue reading Mini-guts made from stem cells uncover mechanisms of viral infection in infants
Disease Areas
A ‘Call to Action’ for change at the FDA
It’s bad enough to have to battle a debilitating and ultimately deadly disease like Huntington’s disease (HD). But it becomes doubly difficult and frustrating when you feel that the best efforts to develop a therapy for HD are running into a brick wall. That’s how patients and patient advocates working on HD feel as they … Continue reading A ‘Call to Action’ for change at the FDA
Stem Cells Profiles in Courage: Frank’s final gift
Not every story has a happy ending. But they do all have something to teach us. In the case of Frank St. Clair the lesson was simple: live life fully and freely, love those around you, and never give up. We were fortunate enough to get to know Frank as one of the people we … Continue reading Stem Cells Profiles in Courage: Frank’s final gift
Stories that caught our eye: new target for killing leukemia cancer stem cells and stem cell vesicles halt glaucoma
New stem cell target for acute myeloid leukemia (Karen Ring). A new treatment for acute myeloid leukemia, a type of blood cancer that turns bone marrow stem cells cancerous, could be in the works in the form of a cancer stem cell destroying antibody. Scientists from the NYU Langone Medical Center and the Memorial Sloan … Continue reading Stories that caught our eye: new target for killing leukemia cancer stem cells and stem cell vesicles halt glaucoma
Good news from Asterias’ CIRM-funded spinal cord injury trial
This week in the stem cell field, all eyes are on Asterias Biotherapeutics, a California-based company that’s testing a stem cell based-therapy in a CIRM-funded clinical trial for spinal cord injury patients. The company launched its Phase 1/2a clinical trial back in 2014 with the goal of determining the safety of the therapy and the … Continue reading Good news from Asterias’ CIRM-funded spinal cord injury trial
Stem Cell Profiles in Courage: Karl’s Fight with Cancer
When I think of a pioneer I have an image in my head of people heading west across the Americans plains in the 18th century, riding in a covered wagon pulled by weary oxen. Karl Trede doesn’t fit that image at all. He is a trim, elegant man who has a ready smile and a … Continue reading Stem Cell Profiles in Courage: Karl’s Fight with Cancer
Stories that caught our eye: $20.5 million in new CIRM discovery awards, sickle cell disease cell bank, iPSC insights
CIRM Board launches a new voyage of Discovery (Kevin McCormack). Basic or early stage research is the Rodney Dangerfield of science; it rarely gets the respect it deserves. Yesterday, the CIRM governing Board showed that it not only respects this research, but also values its role in laying the foundation for everything that follows. The … Continue reading Stories that caught our eye: $20.5 million in new CIRM discovery awards, sickle cell disease cell bank, iPSC insights
Stem Cell Profiles in Courage: Brenden Whittaker
It’s not often you meet someone who says one of their favorite things in the world is mowing the lawn. But then, there aren’t many people in the world like Brenden Whittaker. In fact, as of this writing, he may be unique. Brenden was born with severe chronic granulomatous disease (x-CGD), a rare genetic disorder … Continue reading Stem Cell Profiles in Courage: Brenden Whittaker
Avalanches of exciting new stem cell research at the Keystone Symposia near Lake Tahoe
From January 8th to 13th, nearly 300 scientists and trainees from around the world ascended the mountains near Lake Tahoe to attend the joint Keystone Symposia on Neurogenesis and Stem Cells at the Resort at Squaw Creek. With record-high snowfall in the area (almost five feet!), attendees had to stay inside to stay warm and dry, … Continue reading Avalanches of exciting new stem cell research at the Keystone Symposia near Lake Tahoe
Stories that caught our eye: frail bones in diabetics, ethics of future IVF, Alzheimer’s
The connection between diabetes and frail bones uncovered Fundamentally, diabetes is defined by abnormally high blood sugar levels. But that one defect over time carries an increased risk for a wide range of severe health problems. For instance, compared to healthy individuals, type 2 diabetics are more prone to poorly healing bone fractures – a … Continue reading Stories that caught our eye: frail bones in diabetics, ethics of future IVF, Alzheimer’s
The Stem Cellar 