THIS BLOG IS ALSO AVAILABLE AS AN AUDIO CAST About one third of stroke survivors experience vision loss. It can be a devastating side effect as most patients will not fully recover their vision and there are currently no reliable treatments available. But thanks to a collaborative effort by two teams of researchers from Purdue … Continue reading Reprogramming brain cells to restore vision after a stroke
Gene editing
Looking back and looking forward: good news for two CIRM-supported studies
https://open.spotify.com/episode/4IimCtQ8STpFikwZRXqSAB Dr. Rosa Bacchetta on the right with Brian Lookofsky (left) and Taylor Lookofsky after CIRM funded Dr. Bacchetta's work in October 2019. Taylor has IPEX syndrome It’s always lovely to end the week on a bright note and that’s certainly the case this week, thanks to some encouraging news about CIRM-funded research targeting blood … Continue reading Looking back and looking forward: good news for two CIRM-supported studies
Celebrating Stem Cell Awareness Day
THIS BLOD IS ALSO AVAILABLE AS AN AUDIOCAST ON SPOTIFY The second Wednesday in October is celebrated as Stem Cell Awareness Day. It's an event that CIRM has been part of since then Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger launched it back in 2008 saying: ”The discoveries being made today in our Golden State will have a great … Continue reading Celebrating Stem Cell Awareness Day
Tiny tools for the smallest of tasks, editing genes
YOU CAN LISTEN TO THIS BLOG AS AN AUDIOCAST ON SPOTIFY Developing new tools to edit genes Having the right tools to do a job is important. Try using a large screwdriver to tighten the screws on your glasses and you quickly appreciate that it’s not just the type of tool that’s important, it’s also … Continue reading Tiny tools for the smallest of tasks, editing genes
Mother and daughter team up to fight bias and discrimination in treatment for people with sickle cell disease
LISTEN TO AN AUDIO VERSION OF THIS BLOG Adrienne Shapiro and Marissa Cors are a remarkable pair by any definition. The mother and daughter duo share a common bond, and a common goal. And they are determined not to let anyone stop them achieving that goal. Marissa was born with sickle cell disease (SCD) a … Continue reading Mother and daughter team up to fight bias and discrimination in treatment for people with sickle cell disease
Celebrating a young life that almost wasn’t
Often on the Stem Cellar we feature CIRM-funded work that is helping advance the field, unlocking some of the secrets of stem cells and how best to use them to develop promising therapies. But every once in a while it’s good to remind ourselves that this work, while it may often seem slow, is already … Continue reading Celebrating a young life that almost wasn’t
City of Hope researchers discover potential therapy to treat brain tumors
Glioblastoma (GBM) is a common type of aggressive brain tumor that is found in adults. Survival of this type of brain cancer is poor with just 40% survival in the first-year post diagnosis and 17% in the second year, according to the American Association of Neurological Surgeons. This disease has taken the life of former … Continue reading City of Hope researchers discover potential therapy to treat brain tumors
Board Funds Fifteen Bridges to Stem Cell Research and Therapy Programs Across California and New Sickle Cell Disease Trial
Yesterday the governing Board of the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) awarded $8.39 million to the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) to fund a clinical trial for sickle cell disease (SCD). An additional $51.08 million was awarded to fifteen community colleges and universities across California to fund undergraduate and master’s level programs that … Continue reading Board Funds Fifteen Bridges to Stem Cell Research and Therapy Programs Across California and New Sickle Cell Disease Trial
Gene therapy is life-changing for children with a life-threatening brain disorder
If you have never heard of AADC deficiency count yourself lucky. It’s a rare, incurable condition that affects only around 135 children worldwide but it’s impact on those children and their families is devastating. The children can’t speak, can’t feed themselves or hold up their head, they have severe mood swings and often suffer from … Continue reading Gene therapy is life-changing for children with a life-threatening brain disorder
A new way to evade immune rejection in transplanting cells
Immune fluorescence of HIP cardiomyocytes in a dish; Photo courtesy of UCSF Transplanting cells or an entire organ from one person to another can be lifesaving but it comes with a cost. To avoid the recipient’s body rejecting the cells or organ the patient has to be given powerful immunosuppressive medications. Those medications weaken the … Continue reading A new way to evade immune rejection in transplanting cells
The Stem Cellar 