CIRM board member Ysabel Duron appointed to National Cancer Advisory Board by President Biden

Ysabel Duron is an award-winning journalist, patient advocate, cancer survivor and board member of the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM).  Her list of achievements continues to grow, as President Biden has appointed Duron to National Cancer Advisory Board (NCAB), which plays an important role in setting the course for the national cancer research program.  … Continue reading CIRM board member Ysabel Duron appointed to National Cancer Advisory Board by President Biden

California agency invests $4 million in stem cell treatment for Parkinson’s Disease

The California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) is investing $4 million in a late-stage preclinical project by Ryne Bio aiming to improve treatment for Idiopathic Parkinson's disease (PD). PD is characterized by a loss of dopamine producing neurons that result in motor symptoms, such as dyskinesias (involuntary, erratic, writhing movements of the face, arms, legs … Continue reading California agency invests $4 million in stem cell treatment for Parkinson’s Disease

Investing in CAR T-cell therapy to treat cancer

Photo credit: UC Regents  The California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) is investing $4 million to support Dr. William Murphy and UC Davis researchers to develop and test a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy to treat various B-cell malignancies, ranging from lymphomas to leukemias.  In this Q&A—courtesy of UC Davis Health—Dr. Murphy discusses the importance of T-cell therapy and its implications … Continue reading Investing in CAR T-cell therapy to treat cancer

Update on SCID patient enrolled in CIRM-funded gene therapy trial

Photo credit: UCSF Hataalii Tiisyatonii Begay (HT) is paving the road for newborns with SCID. When HT was born in 2018 in a remote part of the Navajo nation, he was quickly diagnosed with a rare and -usually fatal- condition. Today, thanks to a therapy developed at UCSF and funded by CIRM, he’s a healthy … Continue reading Update on SCID patient enrolled in CIRM-funded gene therapy trial

Funding development of a vaccine for acute myelogenous leukemia (AML)

Dr. Karin Gaensler. Photo credit: Steve Babuljak/UCSF Adult acute myelogenous leukemia—also known as acute myeloid leukemia (AML)—is a blood cancer in which the bone marrow makes a large number of abnormal blood cells.  About 20,000 new cases of AML are diagnosed each year in the US with a 5-year survival rate of around 29%. In … Continue reading Funding development of a vaccine for acute myelogenous leukemia (AML)

CIRM funds clinical trial to make cancer therapy safer, less toxic

Blood stem cell transplantation following high dose chemotherapy is standard of care and potentially curative for aggressive forms of lymphoma. However, this treatment regimen is limited by severe toxicity and life-threatening complications due to delayed recovery of the blood system and vascular related damage of multiple organs. Today the governing Board of the California Institute … Continue reading CIRM funds clinical trial to make cancer therapy safer, less toxic

Update on spinal cord injury patient enrolled in CIRM-funded stem cell clinical trial

Jake Javier and his parents at Duke University A spinal cord injury (SCI) is devastating, changing a person’s life in an instant. Every year, around the world, between 250,000 and 500,000 people suffer a spinal cord injury. Most of these are caused by trauma to the spinal column, thereby affecting the spinal cord's ability to … Continue reading Update on spinal cord injury patient enrolled in CIRM-funded stem cell clinical trial

Lab-made retinas offer a new approach to battling vision loss

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of vision loss in the elderly. Now, new research using 3D organoid models of the eye has uncovered clues as to what happens in AMD, and how to stop it.  In AMD, a person loses their central vision because the light sensitive cells in the macula, a … Continue reading Lab-made retinas offer a new approach to battling vision loss

High school SPARK intern presents stem cell research to academic audience 

Earlier this year, CIRM welcomed many energetic and enthusiastic high school students at the 2022 SPARK Program annual conference in Oakland. The SPARK program is one of the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine’s (CIRM) many programs dedicated to building a diverse and highly-skilled workforce to support the growing regenerative medicine economy right here in California.    … Continue reading High school SPARK intern presents stem cell research to academic audience 

Tratando malformaciones congénitas antes del nacimiento 

El bebé, Tobi recibió un tratamiento de células madre, financiado por el CIRM, mientras aún estaba en el útero. To read this blog in English, click here. Michelle y Jeff se llenaron de felicidad cuando se enteraron de que iban a tener un bebé.   Luego, un examen de ultrasonido a las 20 semanas del embarazo … Continue reading Tratando malformaciones congénitas antes del nacimiento