CIRM-funded medical research and development company does $150M deal to improve care for dialysis patients

Nearly half a million Americans with kidney disease are on dialysis, so it’s not surprising the CIRM Board had no hesitation, back in July 2016, in funding a program to make it easier and safer to get that life-saving therapy. That's why it’s gratifying to now hear that Humacyte, the company behind this new dialysis … Continue reading CIRM-funded medical research and development company does $150M deal to improve care for dialysis patients

CIRM applauds FDA crackdown on stem cell clinics that “peddle unapproved treatments.”

CIRM is commending the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its action against two stem cell clinics offering unapproved therapies. On Wednesday, the FDA filed two complaints in federal court seeking a permanent injunction against California Stem Cell Treatment Center Inc. and US Stem Cell Clinic LLC. of Sunrise, Florida. The FDA says the … Continue reading CIRM applauds FDA crackdown on stem cell clinics that “peddle unapproved treatments.”

CIRM’s Industry Alliance Program: Facilitating Partnerships to Advance Stem Cell Therapies

Some things are better together. Take for instance macaroni and cheese, eggs and bacon, cookies and ice cream. Each of these things are fine on their own, but together, they become something more powerful and delicious. The right partnerships can bring out the best in things. At CIRM, we fully embrace this concept. That’s why … Continue reading CIRM’s Industry Alliance Program: Facilitating Partnerships to Advance Stem Cell Therapies

If you’re into stem cell manufacturing, this is the conference for you!

Fulfilling CIRM’s mission doesn’t just mean accelerating promising stem cell treatments to patients. It also involves accelerating the whole field of regenerative medicine, which involves not just research, but developing candidate treatments, manufacturing cell therapies, and testing these therapies in clinical trials. Manufacturing and the pre-clinical safety evaluation of cell therapies are topics that don’t … Continue reading If you’re into stem cell manufacturing, this is the conference for you!

Recap of the 2018 Alliance for Regenerative Medicine Cell and Gene Therapy State of the Industry

What happened in the Cell and Gene Therapy sector in 2017, and what should we be looking out for in 2018? Over 500 executives, investors, scientists and patient advocates gathered together yesterday to find out at the Alliance for Regenerative Medicine (ARM) State of the Industry Briefing in San Francisco, California. ARM Chairman, Robert Preti, … Continue reading Recap of the 2018 Alliance for Regenerative Medicine Cell and Gene Therapy State of the Industry

How CIRM funding creates additional financial support for stem cell research in California

CIRM’s 2017 Annual Report will be going live online very soon. In anticipation of that we are highlighting some of the key elements from the report here on the Stem Cellar. CIRM funds stem cell research.  We all know that.  What you may not know is that CIRM funds also help bring in additional funding … Continue reading How CIRM funding creates additional financial support for stem cell research in California

ViaCyte treats first patients in PEC-Direct stem cell trial for type 1 diabetes

Today, ViaCyte shared an update on its latest clinical trial for type 1 diabetes (T1D). The company is based in San Diego and is developing two stem cell-based products that attempt to replace the pancreatic beta islet cells that are attacked by the immune system of patients with T1D. Their first product, called VC-01 or … Continue reading ViaCyte treats first patients in PEC-Direct stem cell trial for type 1 diabetes

Stem Cell Stories that Caught our Eye: CRISPRing Human Embryos, brain stem cells slow aging & BrainStorm ALS trial joins CIRM Alpha Clinics

Here are the stem cell stories that caught our eye this week. Enjoy! Scientists claim first CRISPR editing of human embryos in the US. Here’s the big story this week. Scientists from Portland, Oregon claim they genetically modified human embryos using the CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing technology. While their results have yet to be published in … Continue reading Stem Cell Stories that Caught our Eye: CRISPRing Human Embryos, brain stem cells slow aging & BrainStorm ALS trial joins CIRM Alpha Clinics

‘Pay-to-Participate’ stem cell clinical studies, the ugly stepchild of ClinicalTrials.gov

When patients are looking for clinical trials testing new drugs or treatments for their disease, one of the main websites they visit is ClinicalTrials.gov. It’s a registry provided by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) of approximately 250,000 clinical trials spanning over 200 countries around the world. If you visit the website, you’ll find CIRM’s … Continue reading ‘Pay-to-Participate’ stem cell clinical studies, the ugly stepchild of ClinicalTrials.gov

Humacyte Receives Prestigious Technology Pioneer Award for Kidney Failure Treatment

This month, a CIRM-funded company called Humacyte was named one of the World Economic Forum’s 30 Technology Pioneers for 2017. This prestigious award “recognizes early-stage companies from around the world that are involved in the design, development and deployment of new technologies and innovations, and are poised to have a significant impact on business and … Continue reading Humacyte Receives Prestigious Technology Pioneer Award for Kidney Failure Treatment