“How do you mend a broken heart?” was the topic of one of our recent Stem Cellar blogs highlighting a stellar CIRM-funded publication on the regenerative abilities of the protein FSTL1 following heart injury. One of the master-minds behind this study is co-first author Ke Wei. Ke is a postdoc in Dr. Mark Mercola’s lab … Continue reading CIRM scholar Ke Wei talks heart regeneration
Features
Three teams empower patients’ immune systems to oust cancer
Immuno-oncology is all the rage now in biotech publications, with due cause. It is producing some pretty impressive results in patients who failed other therapies. Most of what gets written about involves strengthening or unlocking the action of one immune cell, the T cell. But our immune systems are armed with many types of ammunition; … Continue reading Three teams empower patients’ immune systems to oust cancer
One man’s story points to hope against a deadly skin cancer
At our May Board meeting a gentleman presented his story, which exemplifies being a patient and patient advocate. His name is Norm Beegun. And this is his story. Norm lives in Los Angeles. In 2002 he went to see his regular doctor, an old high school friend, who suggested that since it had been almost … Continue reading One man’s story points to hope against a deadly skin cancer
CIRM Fights Cancer: Two teams develop therapies to stop and eliminate cancer stem cells
Six out of the ten best selling drugs are proteins called monoclonal antibodies. But the prospect for monoclonal antibodies was not always so bright. It took a decade after their discovery in 1975 before they found any clinical use, even then it was very limited use for organ transplant rejection. It was a full twenty … Continue reading CIRM Fights Cancer: Two teams develop therapies to stop and eliminate cancer stem cells
Pioneering patients heroes of early clinical trials
When Frank Gonzales was diagnosed with colorectal cancer in November 2010 it was the start of a long fight against the disease. Chemotherapy helped keep the cancer in check, but it wasn’t a cure. So when Frank heard about a new experimental treatment, that seeks out and destroys cancer stem cells, he was intrigued. Frank … Continue reading Pioneering patients heroes of early clinical trials
CIRM fights cancer: $56 million for 5 clinical trials to vanquish tumors for good
[This is the first of three stories on CIRM’s Cancer Fight that we will post this week. Tomorrow’s will discuss two projects that attack cancer stem cells directly and Thursday's will describe three projects that help our immune system wipe out the traitorous cells.] It’s back—two words we would like to remove from the cancer … Continue reading CIRM fights cancer: $56 million for 5 clinical trials to vanquish tumors for good
CIRM Scholar Spotlight: Matt Donne on Lung Stem Cells
CIRM has funded a number of educational and research training programs over the past ten years to give younger students and graduate/postdoc scholars the opportunity to explore stem cell science. Two of the main programs we support are the Bridges and the CIRM Scholars Training Program. These programs fund future scientists from an undergraduate to … Continue reading CIRM Scholar Spotlight: Matt Donne on Lung Stem Cells
Throwback Thursday: Progress to a Cure for ALS
Welcome to our new “Throwback Thursday” (TBT) series. CIRM’s Stem Cellar blog has a rich archive of stem cell content that is too valuable to let dust bunnies take over. So we decided to brush off some of our older, juicy stories and see what advancements in stem cell research science have been made since! … Continue reading Throwback Thursday: Progress to a Cure for ALS
Genes+Cells: Stem cells deliver genes to make T cells resistant to HIV
This summer the first patients will be enrolled in a clinical trial using a form of genetic scissors to alter the DNA in their stem cells to give their immune systems a desired trait—resistance to HIV. The procedure will alter the patients’ blood-forming stem cells so that they can permanently make immune system T cells … Continue reading Genes+Cells: Stem cells deliver genes to make T cells resistant to HIV
One patient’s quest for something better
Antiretroviral therapy does a great job knocking down HIV in the body, look where it has gotten us! However, it’s not perfect and is not globally accessible with large segments of patients even in developed countries like the U.S. not receiving adequate therapy. I have been a big proponent of antiretroviral therapy, even though it … Continue reading One patient’s quest for something better
The Stem Cellar 