Jordan Janz knows how lucky he is. It's been almost six years since Jordan volunteered to be patient number one in a clinical trial at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) to test a new treatment for cystinosis. People with this rare genetic disease accumulate the amino acid cystine in their organs. The toxic … Continue reading Treatment for one rare disease but plans for many more
Events
Winner of Beast Games becomes champion for his son’s rare disease
You can do a lot with $10 million. Yet, when Jeffrey Randall Allen won the largest prize in game show history on Amazon Prime Video’s Beast Games there was only one thing he wanted to spend his $10 million on—research that might help find a cure for his son’s rare disease. “When my youngest son, … Continue reading Winner of Beast Games becomes champion for his son’s rare disease
California advancing our understanding of Alzheimer’s disease using stem cells
More than 14,000 people in Fresno County live with Alzheimer’s, and an estimated 720,000 Californians face the disease statewide. That’s why the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM)—the state agency funding regenerative medicine research—joined the Alzheimer’s Association Walk to End Alzheimer’s in Fresno/Madera to highlight the cell and gene therapy research we support. More than … Continue reading California advancing our understanding of Alzheimer’s disease using stem cells
Bringing a community together at the 2nd Annual ALSP Conference
In addition to funding programs that advance stem cell and gene therapy development, CIRM supports mission‑focused scientific conferences that foster information exchange aligned with its goals. Second annual ALSP Conference Recently, CIRM supported the 2nd Annual ALSP Community Conference: Insights and Potential of Cell‑Based Therapies for Leukodystrophies. The conference brought together patients, advocates, care partners, … Continue reading Bringing a community together at the 2nd Annual ALSP Conference
Raising awareness of Parkinson’s Disease
Crissy Field was filled with vibrant colors and massive energy for the 10th annual Moving Day San Francisco event on Saturday, May 4th. Even with the rain and wind, community members showed up to demonstrate their commitment to "moving to end Parkinson's." Moving Day is an annual fundraising walk that brings together people with Parkinson’s disease, … Continue reading Raising awareness of Parkinson’s Disease
CIRM team shines at ASGCT annual meeting in sunny Los Angeles
The California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) team spent a week in sunny Los Angeles spreading awareness of its mission at the American Society of Gene & Cell Therapy (ASGCT) annual meeting. The goal of the meeting is to provide a place for people in the cell and gene therapy field to learn from the … Continue reading CIRM team shines at ASGCT annual meeting in sunny Los Angeles
CIRM welcomes new Chair, bids farewell to Art Torres and Jonathan Thomas
Dr. Vito Imbasciani was sworn in as the new Chair of the Board of the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) at its March meeting. Imbasciani (pictured above at left) was elected to the six-year term at CIRM’s January Board meeting. He will replace outgoing chair Jonathan Thomas, who has served in the position since 2011. “My experience … Continue reading CIRM welcomes new Chair, bids farewell to Art Torres and Jonathan Thomas
How one student overcame uncertainty in CIRM’s high school internship program
This summer—as well as year round—the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) will highlight blog submissions, photos, and other fun content from our SPARK Program. SPARK—also known as the Summer Program to Accelerate Regenerative Medicine Knowledge—gives high school students a chance to spend their summer working in a world class stem cell research facility here … Continue reading How one student overcame uncertainty in CIRM’s high school internship program
[PHOTOS] California high school students celebrate regenerative medicine science at CIRM’s annual SPARK conference
We had a wonderful time meeting so many energetic and enthusiastic high school students at the 2022 SPARK Program annual conference hosted by UCSF at the MLK Research Building. 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 … Continue reading [PHOTOS] California high school students celebrate regenerative medicine science at CIRM’s annual SPARK conference
A Month of CIRM: Where we’ve been, where we’re going
All this month we are using our blog and social media to highlight a new chapter in CIRM’s life, thanks to the voters approving Proposition 14. We are looking back at what we have done since we were created in 2004, and also looking forward to the future. We kick off this event with a … Continue reading A Month of CIRM: Where we’ve been, where we’re going