A program hoping to supercharge a patient’s own immune system cells to attack and kill a treatment resistant form of prostate cancer was today awarded $3.99 million by the governing Board of the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) In the U.S., prostate cancer is the second most common cause of cancer deaths in men. … Continue reading Research Targeting Prostate Cancer Gets Almost $4 Million Support from CIRM
ICOC Board Meetings
Stem Cell Agency invests in stem cell therapies targeting sickle cell disease and solid cancers
Today CIRM’s governing Board invested almost $10 million in stem cell research for sickle cell disease and patients with solid cancer tumors. Clinical trial for sickle cell disease City of Hope was awarded $5.74 million to launch a Phase 1 clinical trial testing a stem cell-based therapy for adult patients with severe sickle cell disease … Continue reading Stem Cell Agency invests in stem cell therapies targeting sickle cell disease and solid cancers
Budgeting for the future of the stem cell agency
Budgets are very rarely exciting things; but they are important. For example, it’s useful for a family to know when they go shopping exactly how much money they have so they know how much they can afford to spend. Stem cell agencies face the same constraints; you can’t spend more than you have. Last week … Continue reading Budgeting for the future of the stem cell agency
Hey, what’s the big idea? CIRM Board is putting up more than $16.4 million to find out
When you have a life-changing, life-threatening disease, medical research never moves as quickly as you want to find a new treatment. Sometimes, as in the case of Parkinson’s disease, it doesn’t seem to move at all. At our Board meeting last week David Higgins, our Board member and Patient Advocate for Parkinson’s disease, made that … Continue reading Hey, what’s the big idea? CIRM Board is putting up more than $16.4 million to find out
CIRM Board invests in three new stem cell clinical trials targeting arthritis, cancer and deadly infections
Every day at CIRM we get calls from people looking for a stem cell therapy to help them fight a life-threatening or life-altering disease or condition. One of the most common calls is about osteoarthritis, a painful condition where the cartilage that helps cushion our joints is worn away, leaving bone to rub on bone. … Continue reading CIRM Board invests in three new stem cell clinical trials targeting arthritis, cancer and deadly infections
Saving Ronnie: Stem Cell & Gene Therapy for Fatal Bubble Baby Disease [Video]
During this second week of the Month of CIRM, we’ve been focusing on the people who are critical to accomplishing our mission to accelerate stem cell treatments to patients with unmet medical needs. These folks include researchers, like Clive Svendsen and his team at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center who are working tirelessly to develop a stem … Continue reading Saving Ronnie: Stem Cell & Gene Therapy for Fatal Bubble Baby Disease [Video]
CIRM Board Appoints Dr. Maria Millan as President and CEO
Yesterday was a big day for CIRM. Our governing Board convened for its September ICOC meeting and appointed Dr. Maria Millan as our new President and CEO. Dr. Millan has been serving as the Interim President/CEO since July, replacing former President Dr. Randal Mills. Dr. Millan has been at CIRM since 2012 and was instrumental … Continue reading CIRM Board Appoints Dr. Maria Millan as President and CEO
Family, faith and funding from CIRM inspire one patient to plan for his future
Having been to many conferences and meetings over the years I have found there is a really simple way to gauge if someone is a good speaker, if they have the attention of people in the room. You just look around and see how many people are on their phones or laptops, checking their email … Continue reading Family, faith and funding from CIRM inspire one patient to plan for his future
Stem cell agency funds Phase 3 clinical trial for Lou Gehrig’s disease
At CIRM we don’t have a disease hierarchy list that we use to guide where our funding goes. We don’t rank a disease by how many people suffer from it, if it affects children or adults, or how painful it is. But if we did have that kind of hierarchy you can be sure that … Continue reading Stem cell agency funds Phase 3 clinical trial for Lou Gehrig’s disease
Emotions and gratitude at changing of the guard at Stem Cell Agency
Randy, as regular readers of this blog know, is, or rather was, the President and CEO of CIRM. James Harrison is less well known to the outside world but his imprint on CIRM, as our General Counsel and one of the key figures behind Proposition 71, is even bigger than that of Randy’s. Randy came … Continue reading Emotions and gratitude at changing of the guard at Stem Cell Agency