An exciting development for spinal cord injury research was published this week in the journal Nature Medicine. Scientists from the University of San Diego School of Medicine transplanted human neural progenitor cells (NPCs) into rhesus monkeys that had spinal cord injuries. These cells, which are capable of turning into other cells in the brain, survived … Continue reading Scientists repair spinal cord injuries in monkeys using human stem cells
Spinal cord injury
How a stem cell transplant may help transform Lucas Lindner’s life
On a Sunday morning in early 2016, Lucas Lindner was driving to get some donuts for his grandmother. A deer jumped in front of his truck. Lucas swerved to avoid it and crashed, suffering a severe spinal cord injury that left him paralyzed from the neck down. Lucas took part in a CIRM-funded clinical trial, … Continue reading How a stem cell transplant may help transform Lucas Lindner’s life
Positive update on Asterias’ SCiStar study for spinal cord injury at TMM 2017
This guest blog is reposted with permission from Signals Blog, published by the Center for Commercialization of Regenerative Medicine (CCRM) in Canada. With the extensive exploitation of regenerative medicine through the marketing and selling of unapproved stem cell “therapies” online, it was refreshing to hear an update about clinical trials for a legitimate stem cell … Continue reading Positive update on Asterias’ SCiStar study for spinal cord injury at TMM 2017
Stanford scientists are growing brain stem cells in bulk using 3D hydrogels
This blog is the final installment in our #MonthofCIRM series. Be sure to check out our other blogs highlighting important advances in CIRM-funded research and initiatives. Neural stem cells from the brain have promising potential as cell-based therapies for treating neurological disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s, and spinal cord injury. A limiting factor preventing … Continue reading Stanford scientists are growing brain stem cells in bulk using 3D hydrogels
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
UCLA scientists begin a journey to restore the sense of touch in paralyzed patients
Yesterday, CIRM-funded scientists at UCLA published an interesting study that sheds light on the development of sensory neurons, a type of nerve cell that is damaged in patients with spinal cord injury. Their early-stage findings could potentially, down the road, lead to the development of stem cell-based treatments that rebuild the sensory nervous system in … Continue reading UCLA scientists begin a journey to restore the sense of touch in paralyzed patients
Extra dose of patience needed for spinal cord injury stem cell therapies, rat study suggests
2017 has been an exciting year for Asterias Biotherapeutics’ clinical trial which is testing a stem cell-based therapy for spinal cord injury. We’ve written several stories about patients who have made remarkable recoveries after participating in the trial (here and here). But that doesn’t mean researchers at other companies or institutes who are also investigating spinal … Continue reading Extra dose of patience needed for spinal cord injury stem cell therapies, rat study suggests
CIRM weekly stem cell roundup: minibrain model of childhood disease; new immune insights; patient throws out 1st pitch
New human Mini-brain model of devastating childhood disease. The eradication of Aicardi-Goutieres Syndrome (AGS) can’t come soon enough. This rare but terrible inherited disease causes the immune system to attack the brain. The condition leads to microcephaly (an abnormal small head and brain size), muscle spasms, vision problems and joint stiffness during infancy. Death or … Continue reading CIRM weekly stem cell roundup: minibrain model of childhood disease; new immune insights; patient throws out 1st pitch
Stem cell stories that caught our eye: skin grafts fight diabetes, reprogramming the immune system, and Asterias expands spinal cord injury trial sites
Here are the stem cell stories that caught our eye this week. Skin grafts fight diabetes and obesity. An interesting new gene therapy strategy for fighting type 1 diabetes and obesity surfaced this week. Scientists from the University of Chicago made genetically engineered skin grafts that secrete a peptide hormone called glucagon-liked peptide-1 (GLP-1). This … Continue reading Stem cell stories that caught our eye: skin grafts fight diabetes, reprogramming the immune system, and Asterias expands spinal cord injury trial sites
Stories that caught our eye: Spinal cord injury trial milestone, iPS for early cancer diagnosis, and storing videos in DNA
Spinal cord injury clinical trial hits another milestone (Kevin McCormack) We began the week with good news about our CIRM-funded clinical trial with Asterias for spinal cord injury, and so it’s nice to end the week with more good news from that same trial. On Wednesday, Asterias announced it had completed enrolling and dosing patients … Continue reading Stories that caught our eye: Spinal cord injury trial milestone, iPS for early cancer diagnosis, and storing videos in DNA
The Stem Cellar 