UC Davis School of Medicine Dean, Dr. Allison Brashear: Photo courtesy UCD We have a new member on the CIRM Board – Dr. Allison Brashear is the Dean of the UC Davis School of Medicine, overseeing one of the nation’s top research, academic and medical training institutions. Dr. Brashear is an internationally known researcher in … Continue reading A new voice and vision added to CIRM Board
Parkinson’s
Parkinson’s Disease and Stem Cells
Lila Collins, PhD A few weeks ago we held a Facebook Live "Ask the Stem Cell Team About Parkinson's Disease" event. As you can imagine we got lots of questions but, because of time constraints, only had time to answer a few. Thanks to my fabulous CIRM colleagues, Dr. Lila Collins and Dr. Kent Fitzgerald, … Continue reading Parkinson’s Disease and Stem Cells
Stem Cells for Parkinson’s Disease
While the world has been turned upside down by the coronavirus pandemic, the virus poses an increased threat to people with Parkinson’s disease (PD). Having a compromised immune system, particularly involving the lungs, means people with PD are at higher risk of some of the more dangerous complications of COVID-19. So, this seems like an … Continue reading Stem Cells for Parkinson’s Disease
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
Stem Cell Agency Approves Funding for Clinical Trials Targeting Parkinson’s Disease and Blindness
The governing Board of the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) yesterday invested $32.92 million to fund the Stem Cell Agency’s first clinical trial in Parkinson’s disease (PD), and to support three clinical trials targeting different forms of vision loss. This brings the total number of clinical trials funded by CIRM to 60. The PD … Continue reading Stem Cell Agency Approves Funding for Clinical Trials Targeting Parkinson’s Disease and Blindness
CIRM-funded Stanford study finds potential diagnostic tool, treatment for Parkinson’s
Dr. Xinnan Wang, a neurosurgeon and author of a study that has identified a molecular pathway apparently responsible for the death of dopaminergic neurons that causes the symptoms of Parkinson's. Of the various neurodegenerative diseases, Parkinson's is the second most common and affects 35 million people world wide. It is caused by the gradual breakdown of … Continue reading CIRM-funded Stanford study finds potential diagnostic tool, treatment for Parkinson’s
Scientists at USC untangle the mysteries of cellular reprogramming- a method that could be used to treat diseases
Dr. Justin Ichida, Assistant Professor at USC and lead author of the study Scientists have long tried to repurpose cells in order to potentially treat various types of conditions. This process, called reprogramming, involves changing one type of cell into another, such as a blood cell into a muscle cell or nerve cell. Although the … Continue reading Scientists at USC untangle the mysteries of cellular reprogramming- a method that could be used to treat diseases
Time and money and advancing stem cell research
The human genome Way back in the 1990’s scientists were hard at work decoding the human genome, trying to map and understand all the genes that make up people. At the time there was a sense of hope, a feeling that once we had decoded the genome, we’d have cures for all sorts of things … Continue reading Time and money and advancing stem cell research
Advancing stem cell research in many ways
Speakers at the Alpha Stem Cell Clinics Network Symposium: Photo by Marco Sanchez From Day One CIRM’s goal has been to advance stem cell research in California. We don’t do that just by funding the most promising research -though the 51 clinical trials we have funded to date clearly shows we do that rather well … Continue reading Advancing stem cell research in many ways
200 years later, the search for a cure for Parkinson’s continues
On the surface, actor Michael J. Fox, singer Neil Diamond, civil rights activist Jesse Jackson and Scottish comedian Billy Connolly would appear to have little in common. Except for one thing. They all have Parkinson’s Disease (PD). Their celebrity status has helped raise public awareness about the condition, but studies show that awareness doesn’t amount … Continue reading 200 years later, the search for a cure for Parkinson’s continues
The Stem Cellar 