It’s traditional to end the year with a look back at what you hoped to accomplish and an assessment of what you did. By that standard 2016 has been a pretty good year for us at CIRM. Yesterday our governing Board approved funding for two new clinical trials, one to help kidney transplant patients, the … Continue reading California’s stem cell agency rounds up the year with two more big hits
CIRM News
With an eye toward 2020, CIRM looks at clinical milestones achieved in 2016
One year ago, CIRM announced its strategic plan for the next five years. It’s a bold vision to maximize our impact in stem cell research by accelerating stem cell treatments to patients with unmet medical needs. Our strategic plan, which can be found on our website, details how CIRM will invest in five main program … Continue reading With an eye toward 2020, CIRM looks at clinical milestones achieved in 2016
How stem cells are helping change the face of medicine, one pioneering patient at a time
One of the many great pleasures of my job is that I get to meet so many amazing people. I get to know the researchers who are changing the face of medicine, but even more extraordinary are the people who are helping them do it, the patients. Attacking Cancer It’s humbling to meet people like … Continue reading How stem cells are helping change the face of medicine, one pioneering patient at a time
Translating great stem cell ideas into effective therapies
In science, there are a lot of terms that could easily mystify people without a research background; “translational” is not one of them. Translational research simply means to take findings from basic research and advance them into something that is ready to be tested in people in a clinical trial. Yesterday our Governing Board approved … Continue reading Translating great stem cell ideas into effective therapies
A single protein can boost blood stem cell regeneration
Today, CIRM-funded scientists from the UCLA Broad Stem Cell Research Center reported in Nature Medicine that hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) - blood stem cells that generate the cell in your blood and immune system - get a helping hand after injury from cells in the bone marrow called bone progenitor cells. By secreting a protein called dickkopf-1 … Continue reading A single protein can boost blood stem cell regeneration
Stem cell stories that caught our eye: glowing stem cells and new insights into Zika and SCID
Here are some stem cell stories that caught our eye this past week. Some are groundbreaking science, others are of personal interest to us, and still others are just fun. Glowing stem cells help scientists understand how cells work. (Karen Ring) It’s easy to notice when something is going wrong. It’s a lot harder to … Continue reading Stem cell stories that caught our eye: glowing stem cells and new insights into Zika and SCID
Key Steps Along the Way To Finding Treatments for HIV on World AIDS Day
Today, December 1st, is World AIDS Day. It's a day to acknowledge the progress that is being made in HIV prevention and treatment around the world but also to renew our commitment to a future free of HIV. This year's theme is Leadership. Commitment. Impact. At CIRM we are funding a number of projects focused … Continue reading Key Steps Along the Way To Finding Treatments for HIV on World AIDS Day
Stem cells have a neat trick to prevent tissue scarring
A CIRM-funded study from the Stanford University School of Medicine has discovered that stem cells in muscle tissue “police themselves” to reduce fibrosis or the buildup of scar tissue. The ability to prevent scarring could promote anti-aging properties by keeping muscles healthy and functional and could also benefit patients with muscle wasting diseases like muscular … Continue reading Stem cells have a neat trick to prevent tissue scarring
CIRM-funded stem cell trial for retinitis pigmentosa makes progress
A CIRM-funded clinical trial for retinitis pigmentosa (RP), a degenerative eye disease that causes blindness, recently reached its next milestone and announced the completion of its patient enrollment for a phase I/IIa study testing a stem cell derived therapy. This is a major step forward in determining whether this approach is both safe and effective … Continue reading CIRM-funded stem cell trial for retinitis pigmentosa makes progress
Don’t Sugar Coat it: A Patient’s Perspective on Type 1 Diabetes
“In the weeks leading up to my diagnosis, I remember making and drinking Kool-Aid at the rate of about a gallon per day, and getting up to pee and drink Kool-Aid several times a night. The exhaustion and constant thirst and the weight loss were pretty scary. Insulin saved my life, and it’s been saving … Continue reading Don’t Sugar Coat it: A Patient’s Perspective on Type 1 Diabetes
The Stem Cellar 