jCyte Shares Encouraging Update on Clinical Trial for Retinitis Pigmentosa

Stepping out of the darkness into light. That’s how patients are describing their experience after participating in a CIRM-funded clinical trial targeting a rare form of vision loss called retinitis pigmentosa (RP). jCyte, the company conducting the trial, announced 12 month results for its candidate stem cell-based treatment for RP. RP is a genetic disorder … Continue reading jCyte Shares Encouraging Update on Clinical Trial for Retinitis Pigmentosa

A Patient Advocate’s Personal Manifesto

Janni Lehrer-Stein was just 26 when she was diagnosed with a degenerative eye disease and told she was going to be blind within six months. The doctor who gave her the news told her “But don’t worry, people like you are usually hit and killed by a bus long before they go completely blind.” At … Continue reading A Patient Advocate’s Personal Manifesto

CIRM-Funded Clinical Trials Targeting Brain and Eye Disorders

This blog is part of our Month of CIRM series, which features our Agency’s progress towards achieving our mission to accelerate stem cell treatments to patients with unmet medical needs.  This week, we’re highlighting CIRM-funded clinical trials to address the growing interest in our rapidly expanding clinical portfolio. Our Agency has funded a total of … Continue reading CIRM-Funded Clinical Trials Targeting Brain and Eye Disorders

Throwback Thursday: Progress to a Cure for Diseases of Blindness

Welcome back to our “Throwback Thursday” series on the Stem Cellar. Over the years, we’ve accumulated an arsenal of exciting stem cell stories about advances towards stem cell-based cures for serious diseases. This month we’re featuring stories about CIRM-funded clinical trials for blindness. 2017 has been an exciting year for two CIRM-funded clinical trials that … Continue reading Throwback Thursday: Progress to a Cure for Diseases of Blindness

jCyte gets FDA go-ahead for Fast Track review process of Retinitis Pigmentosa stem cell therapy

When the US Congress approved, and President Obama signed into law, the 21st Century Cures Act last year there was guarded optimism that this would help create a more efficient and streamlined, but no less safe, approval process for the most promising stem cell therapies. Even so many people took a wait and see approach, … Continue reading jCyte gets FDA go-ahead for Fast Track review process of Retinitis Pigmentosa stem cell therapy

jCyte starts second phase of stem cell clinical trial targeting vision loss

Studies show that Americans fear losing their vision more than any other sense, such as hearing or speech, and almost as much as they fear cancer, Alzheimer’s and HIV/AIDS. That’s not too surprising. Our eyes are our connection to the world around us. Sever that connection, and the world is a very different place. For … Continue reading jCyte starts second phase of stem cell clinical trial targeting vision loss

A stem cell clinical trial for blindness: watch Rosie’s story

https://youtu.be/oH4vlVWl6WY Everything we do at CIRM is laser-focused on our mission: to accelerate stem cell treatments for patients with unmet medical needs. So, you might imagine what a thrill it is to meet the people who could be helped by the stem cell research we fund. People like Rosie Barrero who suffers from Retinitis Pigmentosa … Continue reading A stem cell clinical trial for blindness: watch Rosie’s story

Cured by Stem Cells

To get anywhere you need a good map, and you need to check it constantly to make sure you are still on the right path and haven’t strayed off course. A year ago the CIRM Board gave us a map, a Strategic Plan, that laid out our course for the next five years. Our Annual … Continue reading Cured by Stem Cells

California’s stem cell agency rounds up the year with two more big hits

It’s traditional to end the year with a look back at what you hoped to accomplish and an assessment of what you did. By that standard 2016 has been a pretty good year for us at CIRM. Yesterday our governing Board approved funding for two new clinical trials, one to help kidney transplant patients, the … Continue reading California’s stem cell agency rounds up the year with two more big hits

With an eye toward 2020, CIRM looks at clinical milestones achieved in 2016

One year ago, CIRM announced its strategic plan for the next five years. It’s a bold vision to maximize our impact in stem cell research by accelerating stem cell treatments to patients with unmet medical needs. Our strategic plan, which can be found on our website, details how CIRM will invest in five main program … Continue reading With an eye toward 2020, CIRM looks at clinical milestones achieved in 2016