Here are some stem cell stories that caught our eye this past week. Some are groundbreaking science, others are of personal interest to us, and still others are just fun. To save nerves, make them slow down. Nerves, like all cells, constantly make protein, but that task uses up a lot of energy and older … Continue reading Stem cell stories that caught our eye: Trifecta of nerve news on aging, Parkinson’s and myelin diseases, also expanding cord blood
Parkinson’s
Two National Parkinson’s Disease Organizations Join Forces
Guest blogger David R. Higgins, PhD, is a Parkinson’s Patient Advocate and a CIRM ICOC board member. Two national Parkinson’s organizations have decided to join forces: The Parkinson’s Action Network (PAN) will be integrated into The Michael J. Fox Foundation (MJFF). Both have served the Parkinson’s community in separate and important ways, but as MJFF CEO … Continue reading Two National Parkinson’s Disease Organizations Join Forces
How do you know what patients want if you never even ask them?
Our mission at CIRM is to accelerate stem treatments to patients with unmet medical needs. But what if those needs are not just unmet, they’re also unknown? What happens when those developing treatments never even bother to ask those they are trying to help if this is what they really need, or want? The question … Continue reading How do you know what patients want if you never even ask them?
A step forward for Parkinson’s disease?
Imagine how frustrating it would be to not know whether you could physically sit through a dinner with friends or to worry about getting stuck in the grocery isle, fighting against a body that refuses to move. These nightmare-like experiences are what many Parkinson’s disease (PD) patients deal with on a daily basis. PD affects … Continue reading A step forward for Parkinson’s disease?
Bringing down the gatekeeper for a stem cell-based Parkinson’s cure
On the surface, a stem cell-based cure for Parkinson’s disease seems pretty straight-forward. This age-related neurodegenerative disorder, which leads to progressively worsening tremors, slowness of movement and muscle rigidity, is caused by the death of a specific type of nerve cell, or neuron, that produces the chemical dopamine in a specific region of the brain. … Continue reading Bringing down the gatekeeper for a stem cell-based Parkinson’s cure
CIRM Scholar Spotlight: Berkeley’s Maroof Adil on stem cell transplants for Parkinson’s disease
Stem cell therapy has a lot of potential for Parkinson’s patients and the scientists that study it. One of our very own CIRM scholars, Maroof Adil, is making it his mission to develop stem cell based therapies to treat brain degenerating diseases like Parkinson’s. Maroof got his undergraduate degrees from MIT in both Chemical Engineering … Continue reading CIRM Scholar Spotlight: Berkeley’s Maroof Adil on stem cell transplants for Parkinson’s disease
Keeping elderly cells old to understand the aging process
Aging is a key risk factor for many diseases, particularly disorders of the brain like Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s, which primarily occur in the elderly. So a better understanding of the aging process should provide a better understanding of these neurodegenerative diseases. The induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) technique makes it possible to grow human brain … Continue reading Keeping elderly cells old to understand the aging process
Desperate patients and false hope: a troubling trend for stem cell-based therapies
A gambler’s odds are usually stacked against them but the possibility, however slim, of hitting the jackpot keeps bringing them back to the table. Now imagine, unbeknownst to them, the system is rigged so there’s a zero percent chance of any winnings. They’d essentially be giving their money away based on a false hope. Sadly, … Continue reading Desperate patients and false hope: a troubling trend for stem cell-based therapies
The Stem Cellar 