CIRM at Business of Personalized Medicine Summit

Exciting new technologies such as regenerative medicine, tissue engineering and gene therapy are already at the forefront of a new era of medicine. And today, CIRM’s own Business Development Officer, Neil Littman, moderated a panel titled The Impact of Next Generation Personalized Medicine Technologies: How Disruptive Tech Continues to Advance the Industry, at the annual … Continue reading CIRM at Business of Personalized Medicine Summit

Stories of Hope: Diabetes

This week on The Stem Cellar we feature some of our most inspiring patients and patient advocates as they share, in their own words, their Stories of Hope. The last thing Maria Torres expected was to be diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. She exercised, ate well and kept her weight under control. There had to … Continue reading Stories of Hope: Diabetes

CIRM-Funded Scientists Test Recipe for Building New Muscles

When muscles get damaged due to disease or injury, the body activates its reserves—muscle stem cells that head to the injury site and mature into fully functioning muscle cells. But when the reserves are all used up, things get tricky. This is especially the case for people living with muscle diseases, such as muscular dystrophy, … Continue reading CIRM-Funded Scientists Test Recipe for Building New Muscles

Stories of Hope: Alzheimer’s Disease

This week on The Stem Cellar we feature some of our most inspiring patients and patient advocates as they share, in their own words, their Stories of Hope. Adele Miller knew what came next. She had lived it twice already: her father's unraveling, due to Alzheimer’s disease, and, a few years later, her mother's journey … Continue reading Stories of Hope: Alzheimer’s Disease

Stem Cell Stories that Caught our Eye: What’s the Best Way to Treat Deadly Cancer, Destroying Red Blood Cells’ Barricade, Profile of CIRM Scientist Denis Evseenko

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. Stem Cells vs. Drugs for Treating Deadly Cancer. When dealing with a potentially deadly form of cancer, choosing the right treatment is critical. But what … Continue reading Stem Cell Stories that Caught our Eye: What’s the Best Way to Treat Deadly Cancer, Destroying Red Blood Cells’ Barricade, Profile of CIRM Scientist Denis Evseenko

UCSD Team Launches CIRM-Funded Trial to Test Safety of New Leukemia Drug

Ridding weeds from your lawn can be a frustrating experience without a good weeding tool in hand. If you don’t rip out the whole weed, root and all, it’s likely to grow back in no time. Cancer patients and their physicians experience a similar frustration but with deadly consequences. Many current cancer treatment “tools” effectively … Continue reading UCSD Team Launches CIRM-Funded Trial to Test Safety of New Leukemia Drug

A Tumor’s Trojan Horse: CIRM Researchers Build Nanoparticles to Infiltrate Hard-to-Reach Tumors

Some tumors are hard to find, while others are hard to destroy. Fortunately, a new research study from the University of California, Davis, has developed a new type of nanoparticle that could one day do both. Reporting in the latest issue of Nature Communications, researchers in the laboratory of UC Davis’ Dr. Kit Lam describe … Continue reading A Tumor’s Trojan Horse: CIRM Researchers Build Nanoparticles to Infiltrate Hard-to-Reach Tumors

FDA gives Asterias green light to start CIRM-funded clinical trial in spinal cord injury

This morning Asterias Biotherapeutics announced that they have been cleared by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to start a clinical trial using stem cells to treat spinal cord injury. It’s great news, doubly so as we are funding that trial. You can read more about the trial in a news release we just sent … Continue reading FDA gives Asterias green light to start CIRM-funded clinical trial in spinal cord injury

Building a Blueprint for the Human Brain

How does a brain blossom from a small cluster of cells into nature’s most powerful supercomputer? The answer has long puzzled scientists, but with new advances in stem cell biology, researchers are quickly mapping the complex suite of connections that together make up the brain. One of the latest breakthroughs comes from Dr. Daniel Geschwind … Continue reading Building a Blueprint for the Human Brain

World’s largest pharmaceutical company signs deal with ViaCyte supporting stem cell therapy for type 1 diabetes

It’s been a good week for ViaCyte, a good week for us here at the stem cell agency and potentially a great week for people with type 1 diabetes.Earlier this week ViaCyte announced they have been given approval to start a clinical trial for their new approach to treating type 1 diabetes. Then today they announced … Continue reading World’s largest pharmaceutical company signs deal with ViaCyte supporting stem cell therapy for type 1 diabetes