October is Blindness Awareness month. In honor of the patients who suffer from diseases of blindness and of the scientists and doctors who work tirelessly to develop treatments and cures for these diseases, we are featuring an interview with Kristin Macdonald, a woman who is challenged by Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP). RP is a genetically inherited … Continue reading A patient perspective on how stem cells could give a second vision to the blind
Patient Advocacy
A Patient Advocate’s Take on Sickle Cell Disease: The Pain and the Promise
September is National Sickle Cell Awareness Month. First officially recognized by the federal government in 1983, National Sickle Cell Awareness Month calls attention to sickle cell disease (SCD), a genetic disease that researchers estimate affects between 90,000 and 100,000 Americans. CIRM is funding a clinical trial focused on curing the disease with a stem cell-based … Continue reading A Patient Advocate’s Take on Sickle Cell Disease: The Pain and the Promise
Making a deposit in the Bank: using stem cells from children with rare diseases to find new treatments
Part of The Stem Cellar series on ten years of iPS cells For Chris Waters, the motivation behind her move from big pharmaceutical companies and biotech to starting a non-profit organization focused on rare diseases in children is simple: “What’s most important is empowering patient families and helping them accelerate research to the clinical solutions … Continue reading Making a deposit in the Bank: using stem cells from children with rare diseases to find new treatments
Young man with spinal cord injury regains use of hands and arms after stem cell therapy
Hope is such a fragile thing. We cling to it in bad times. It offers us a sense that we can bear whatever hardships we are facing today, and that tomorrow will be better. Kris Boesen knows all about holding on to hope during bad times. On March 6th of this year he was left … Continue reading Young man with spinal cord injury regains use of hands and arms after stem cell therapy
Advancing Stem Cell Research at the CIRM Bridges Conference
Where will stem cell research be in 10 years? What would you say to patients who wanted stem cell therapies now? What are the most promising applications for stem cell research? Why is it important for the government to fund regenerative medicine? These challenging and thought-provoking questions were posed to a vibrant group of undergraduate … Continue reading Advancing Stem Cell Research at the CIRM Bridges Conference
Another way to dial back stem cell hype (but not hope): Put a dollar figure on it
In an effort to reign in the hype surrounding stem cell research that has led to a proliferation of unapproved and potentially dangerous stem cell therapies, the International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR) recently released updated guidelines outlining conduct for stem cell researchers that, for the first time, included communications activities. At only 1.5 … Continue reading Another way to dial back stem cell hype (but not hope): Put a dollar figure on it
Multi-Talented Stem Cells: The Many Ways to Use Them in the Clinic
CIRM kicked off the 2016 International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR) Conference in San Francisco with a public stem cell event yesterday that brought scientists, patients, patient advocates and members of the general public together to discuss the many ways stem cells are being used in the clinic to develop treatments for patients with … Continue reading Multi-Talented Stem Cells: The Many Ways to Use Them in the Clinic
Patient advocates a small but mighty force at BIO meeting
A few hundred patient advocates operating from a small sub-section carved out of three cavernous exhibit halls could easily get lost amid the 16,000 scientists and business folks attending the BIO International meeting in San Francisco last week. But their voice was heard as they made great use of the meeting to remind companies developing … Continue reading Patient advocates a small but mighty force at BIO meeting
BIO 2016: IMAGINE Curing Disease and Saving Lives Part 2
As promised, here is Part 2 of our blog coverage on the BIO International Convention currently ongoing in San Francisco. Here are a few more insights on the talks we attended and highlights of other coverage from top biotech journalists and media outlets. Keynote with Dr. Bennet Omalu and Will Smith on “Concussion” If you … Continue reading BIO 2016: IMAGINE Curing Disease and Saving Lives Part 2
IMAGINE Curing Disease and Saving Lives: BIO 2016 Part 1
Did you hear that? It’s the sound of more than 15,000 people taking a collective breath. That’s because we are now at the halfway point of the 2016 BIO International Convention, the world’s largest biotechnology gathering with over 900 speakers, 180 company presentations, 19 education tracks, 6 super sessions, and 35,000 partnering meetings. Now that’s … Continue reading IMAGINE Curing Disease and Saving Lives: BIO 2016 Part 1
The Stem Cellar 