Stem Cell Roundup: Crafty Cancer, Fighting Viruses, and Brainstorm ALS Trial Expands to Canada

TGIF! Here is your weekly dose of stem cell news... Shapeshifting cancer cells This week’s awesome stem cell photo comes with a bizarre story and bonus video footage. Researchers at Duke University were studying lung tumor samples and discovered something that didn’t quite belong. Inside the lung tumors were miniature parts of the digestive system … Continue reading Stem Cell Roundup: Crafty Cancer, Fighting Viruses, and Brainstorm ALS Trial Expands to Canada

East Coast Company to Sell Research Products Derived from CIRM’s Stem Cell Bank

With patient-derived induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) in hand, any lab scientist can follow recipes that convert these embryonic-like stem cells into specific cell types for studying human disease in a petri dish. iPSCs derived from a small skin sample from a Alzheimer’s patient, for instance, can be specialized into neurons – the kind of … Continue reading East Coast Company to Sell Research Products Derived from CIRM’s Stem Cell Bank

Say Hello to CIRM’s New Active Awards Portfolio Dashboard (Video Included!)

It takes a lot of time, money and effort to develop a promising stem cell research idea into an effective treatment that can help patients. Oftentimes, you don’t hear about the early-stage research that goes into developing a particular treatment until it reaches the clinic. CIRM recognizes the importance of investing in all stages of … Continue reading Say Hello to CIRM’s New Active Awards Portfolio Dashboard (Video Included!)

Stem Cell Agency Heads to Inland Empire for Free Patient Advocate Event

I am embarrassed to admit that I have never been to the Inland Empire in California, the area that extends from San Bernardino to Riverside counties.  That’s about to change. On Monday, April 16th CIRM is taking a road trip to UC Riverside, and we’re inviting you to join us. We are holding a special, … Continue reading Stem Cell Agency Heads to Inland Empire for Free Patient Advocate Event

Tiny blood vessels in the brain can spur the growth of spinal motor neurons

Last week, researchers from Cedars-Sinai Medical Center added a new piece to the complex puzzle of what causes neurodegenerative disorders like amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The team discovered that the tiny blood vessels in our brains do more than provide nutrients to and remove waste products from our brain tissue. It turns out that these … Continue reading Tiny blood vessels in the brain can spur the growth of spinal motor neurons

Stem Cell Patch Restores Vision in Patients with Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Two UK patients suffering from vision loss caused by age-related macular degeneration (AMD) have regained their sight thanks to a stem cell-based retinal patch developed by researchers from UC Santa Barbara (UCSB). The preliminary results of this promising Phase 1 clinical study were published yesterday in the journal Nature Biotechnology. AMD is one of the … Continue reading Stem Cell Patch Restores Vision in Patients with Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Inspiring Video: UC Irvine Stem Cell Trial Gives Orange County Woman Hope in Her Fight Against ALS

Last week, we lost one of our greatest, most influential scientific minds. Stephen Hawking, a famous British theoretical physicist and author of “A Brief History of Time: From the Big Bang to Black Holes”, passed away at the age of 76. Hawking lived most of his adult life in a wheelchair because he suffered from … Continue reading Inspiring Video: UC Irvine Stem Cell Trial Gives Orange County Woman Hope in Her Fight Against ALS

Stem Cell Round: Improving memory, building up “good” fat, nanomedicine

Stem Cell Photo of the Week In honor of brain awareness week, our featured stem cell photo is of the brain! Scientists at the Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Stem Cell Institute identified a genetic switch that could potentially improve memory during aging and symptoms of PTSD. Shown in this picture are dentate gyrus cells … Continue reading Stem Cell Round: Improving memory, building up “good” fat, nanomedicine

CIRM-funded clinical trial takes a combination approach to treating deadly blood cancers

A diagnosis of cancer often means a tough road ahead, with surgery, chemotherapy and radiation used to try and kill the tumor. Even then, sometimes cancer cells manage to survive and return later, spreading throughout the body. Now researchers at UC San Diego and Oncternal Therapeutics are teaming up with a combination approach they hope … Continue reading CIRM-funded clinical trial takes a combination approach to treating deadly blood cancers

It’s World Kidney Day: Highlighting CIRM’s Investments in Treating Kidney Failure

Today is World Kidney Day. Hundreds of events across the globe are taking place “to raise awareness of the importance of our kidneys to our overall health and to reduce the frequency and impact of kidney disease and its associated health problems worldwide.” (Side note: in recognition that today is also International Women’s Day, World … Continue reading It’s World Kidney Day: Highlighting CIRM’s Investments in Treating Kidney Failure