THIS BLOG IS ALSO AVAILABLE AS AN AUDIO CAST Nature Cell Biology cover The global pandemic has highlighted many of the inequities in our health care system, with the virus hitting communities of color the hardest. That has led to calls for greater diversity, equity and inclusion at every level of scientific research and, ultimately, … Continue reading Creating a New Model for Diversity in Scientific and Medical Research
Maria Millan
Stem Cell Agency Board Invests in Therapy Targeting Deadly Blood Cancers
THIS BLOG IS ALSO AVAILABLE AS AN AUDIO CAST Dr. Ezra Cohen, photo courtesy UCSD Hematologic malignancies are cancers that affect the blood, bone marrow and lymph nodes and include different forms of leukemia and lymphoma. Current treatments can be effective, but in those patients that do not respond, there are few treatment options. Today, … Continue reading Stem Cell Agency Board Invests in Therapy Targeting Deadly Blood Cancers
A year unlike any other – a look back at one year post Prop 14
THIS BLOG IS ALSO AVAILABLE AS AN AUDIO CAST State flag of California 2020 was, by any standards, a pretty wacky year. Pandemic. Political convulsions. And a huge amount of uncertainty as to the funding of life-saving therapies at CIRM. Happily, those all turned out OK. We got vaccines to take care of COVID. The … Continue reading A year unlike any other – a look back at one year post Prop 14
Wit, wisdom, and a glimpse into the future
THIS BLOG IS ALSO AVAILABLE AS AN AUDIO CAST As of this moment, there are over two million podcasts and over 48 million episodes to listen to on your favorite listening device. If you’re a true crime enthusiast like me, you’ve surely heard of Casefile or one of the other 94 podcasts on the topic. … Continue reading Wit, wisdom, and a glimpse into the future
Some good news for people with dodgy knees
THIS BLOG IS ALSO AVAILABLE AS AN AUDIOCAST Graphic contrasting a healthy knee with one that has osteoarthritis About 10% of Americans suffer from knee osteoarthritis, a painful condition that can really impair mobility and quality of life. It's often caused by an injury to cartilage, say when you were playing sports in high school … Continue reading Some good news for people with dodgy knees
A new approach to a deadly childhood cancer
THIS BLOG IS ALSO AVAILABLE AS AN AUDIO CAST Cancers of the blood, bone marrow and lymph nodes (also called hematologic malignancies) are the most common form of cancer in children and young adults. Current treatments can be effective but can also pose life-threatening health risks to the child. Now researchers at Stanford have developed … Continue reading A new approach to a deadly childhood cancer
CIRM funds clinical trials targeting heart disease, stroke and childhood brain tumors
Gary Steinberg (Jonathan Sprague) Heart disease and stroke are two of the leading causes of death and disability and for people who have experienced either their treatment options are very limited. Current therapies focus on dealing with the immediate impact of the attack, but there is nothing to deal with the longer-term impact. The CIRM … Continue reading CIRM funds clinical trials targeting heart disease, stroke and childhood brain tumors
A conversation with Bob Klein about the past, present, and future of CIRM
Bob Klein Anyone who knows anything about CIRM knows about Bob Klein. He's the main author and driving force behind both Proposition 71 and Proposition 14, the voter-approved ballot initiatives that first created and then refunded CIRM. It's safe to say that without Bob, there'd be no CIRM. Recently, we had the great good fortune … Continue reading A conversation with Bob Klein about the past, present, and future of CIRM
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
We’ve got cash, here’s how you can get some
When the voters of California approved Proposition 14 last November (thanks folks) they gave us $5.5 billion to continue the work we started way back in 2014. It’s a great honor, and a great responsibility. It’s also a great opportunity to look at what we do and how we do it and try to come … Continue reading We’ve got cash, here’s how you can get some
The Stem Cellar 