Join us for our second installment of “Ask the Expert” at 12pm, PST on July 31st! This live interactive event will feature a conversation between Drs. Clive Svendsen, Robert Baloh from Cedars-Sinai, Dr. Ralph Kern, the Chief Operating Officer and Chief Medical Officer of Brainstorm Therapeutics, and CIRM Senior Science Officer Dr. Lila Collins. In … Continue reading Join us for our next installment of “Ask The Experts” on July 31st.
News
Stem cell treatment for spinal cord injury offers improved chance of independent life for patients
A spinal cord injury is devastating, changing a person’s life in a heartbeat. In the past there was little that doctors could do other than offer pain relief and physical therapy to try and regain as much muscle function as possible. That’s why the latest results from the CIRM-supported Asterias Biotherapeutics spinal cord injury trial … Continue reading Stem cell treatment for spinal cord injury offers improved chance of independent life for patients
CIRM Supported Scientist Makes Surprising Discovery with Parasitic Gut Worms
It’s no secret that researchers have long believed adult stem cells could contribute to wound healing in the gut and skin, but in a new paper in Nature — a group of scientists at UC San Francisco made a surprising discovery. Through several experiments using parasitic worms in the mouse gut, they found that as … Continue reading CIRM Supported Scientist Makes Surprising Discovery with Parasitic Gut Worms
Early CIRM support helps stem cell pioneer develop promising new therapy for cancer
When you get praise from someone who has been elected to the National Academy of Sciences and has been named California Scientist of the Year you know you must be doing something right. That’s how we felt the other day when Irv Weissman, Director of the Stanford Institute of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, … Continue reading Early CIRM support helps stem cell pioneer develop promising new therapy for cancer
Video: Behind the scenes of a life-saving gene therapy stem cell treatment
“We were so desperate. When we heard about this treatment were willing to do anything to come here.” In the above quote from Zahraa El Kerdi, “here” refers to UCLA, a world away from her hometown in Lebanon. In September 2015, Zahree gave birth to a son, Hussein, who appeared perfectly healthy. But by six … Continue reading Video: Behind the scenes of a life-saving gene therapy stem cell treatment
Newest member of CIRM Board is a guitar-playing, German Shepherd dog loving, molecular geneticist
The newest member of the CIRM Board is a researcher who wasn't always sure she would have a career as a scientist. Suzanne Sandmeyer, PhD, says at the start of her career she had a lot of doubts. “During my postdoc, I was developing the impression I would struggle to survive in my career as … Continue reading Newest member of CIRM Board is a guitar-playing, German Shepherd dog loving, molecular geneticist
Stem cell roundup: summer scientists, fat-blocking cells & recent human evolution
Stem cell photo of the week: high schooler becoming a stem cell pro this summer This summer’s CIRM SPARK Programs, stem cell research internships for high school students, are in full swing. Along with research assignments in top-notch stem cell labs, we’ve asked the students to chronicle their internship experiences through Instagram. And today’s stem … Continue reading Stem cell roundup: summer scientists, fat-blocking cells & recent human evolution
“Junk” DNA is development gold for the dividing embryo
The DNA in our cells provide the instructions to make proteins, the workhorses of our body. Yet less than 2% of the 3 billion base pairs (the structural units of DNA) in each of our cells are actually involved in protein production. The rest, termed non-coding DNA for not being involved in protein production, has … Continue reading “Junk” DNA is development gold for the dividing embryo
The story behind the book about the Stem Cell Agency
WHY I WROTE “CALIFORNIA CURES” By Don C. Reed It was Wednesday, June 13th, 2018, the launch day for my new book, “CALIFORNIA CURES: How the California Stem Cell Research Program is Fighting Your Incurable Disease!” As I stood in front of the audience of scientists, CIRM staff members, patient advocates, I thought to myself, … Continue reading The story behind the book about the Stem Cell Agency
World Sickle Cell Day: Managing the disease today for tomorrow’s stem cell cures
Today is World Sickle Cell Day, a day to promote awareness about sickle cell disease (SCD), an inherited, chronic blood disorder which can cause severe pain, stroke, organ failure, and other complications, including death. Sadly, it’s estimated that this year 300,000 babies around the world will be born with SCD. To recognize World Sickle Cell … Continue reading World Sickle Cell Day: Managing the disease today for tomorrow’s stem cell cures