Bone marrow transplant For children born with severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) life can be very challenging. SCID means they have no functioning immune system, so even a simple infection can prove life threatening. Left untreated, children with SCID often die in the first few years of life. There are stem cell/gene therapies funded by the … Continue reading Fast Track Designation for a therapy making transplants safer for children with a fatal immune disorder
Stanford University
The researcher who is following her bliss, and tackling diseases of aging at the same time
Dr. Jill Helms, and associate! Photo courtesy Stanford University Jill Helms is not your average Stanford University faculty member. Yes, she is a professor in the Department of Surgery. Yes, she has published lots of scientific studies. Yes, she is a stem cell scientist (funded by CIRM). And yes, she is playing a leading role … Continue reading The researcher who is following her bliss, and tackling diseases of aging at the same time
Life lessons learned in the CIRM summer intern program
SPARK poster session; Photo by Esteban Cortez When I was in high school I spent my summers working in a shoe shop and playing soccer with my mates. It never occurred to me that I could do something really worthwhile with that time. So, when I meet the high school students who took part in … Continue reading Life lessons learned in the CIRM summer intern program
Fighting for his life and the lives of other stroke survivors
Sean Entin, stroke survivor and founder of Stroke Hacker The word "miraculous" gets tossed around a lot in the world of medicine, mostly by people who have made an unexpected recovery from a deadly or life-threatening condition. In Sean Entin's case calling his recovery from an almost-fatal stroke could be called miraculous, but I think … Continue reading Fighting for his life and the lives of other stroke survivors
How CIRM’s Bridges internship program inspired this student to pursue a career in regenerative medicine
Samira Alwahabi For more than a decade, the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) has funded educational and research training programs to give students the opportunity to explore stem cell science right here in California. One such project—the Bridges to Stem Cell Research Program—helps train future generations of scientists by preparing undergraduate and master’s students … Continue reading How CIRM’s Bridges internship program inspired this student to pursue a career in regenerative medicine
Stem Cell Agency Board Invests in 19 Discovery Research Programs Targeting Cancers, Heart Disease and Other Disorders
THIS BLOG IS ALSO AVAILABLE AS AN AUDIO CAST Dr. Judy Shizuru, Stanford University While stem cell and gene therapy research has advanced dramatically in recent years, there are still many unknowns and many questions remaining about how best to use these approaches in developing therapies. That’s why the governing Board of the California Institute … Continue reading Stem Cell Agency Board Invests in 19 Discovery Research Programs Targeting Cancers, Heart Disease and Other Disorders
Smoking marijuana could be bad for your heart, but there is an unusual remedy
THIS BLOG IS ALSO AVAILABLE AS AN AUDIO CAST Smoking medical marijuana: Photo courtesy Elsa Olofsson Millions of Americans use marijuana for medical reasons, such as reducing anxiety or helping ease the side effects of cancer therapy. Millions more turn to it for recreational reasons, saying it helps them relax. Now a new study says … Continue reading Smoking marijuana could be bad for your heart, but there is an unusual remedy
Joining the movement to fight rare diseases
THIS BLOG IS ALSO AVAILABLE AS AN AUDIO CAST It’s hard to think of something as being rare when it affects up to 30 million Americans and 300 million people worldwide. But the truth is there are more than 6,000 conditions – those affecting 200,000 people or fewer – that are considered rare. Today, … Continue reading Joining the movement to fight rare diseases
Stem Cell Agency Board Approves Funding for Rare Immune Disorder
THIS BLOG IS ALSO AVAILABLE AS AN AUDIO CAST Taylor Lookofsky (center), a person with IPEX syndrome, with his father Brian and Dr. Rosa Bacchetta IPEX syndrome is a rare condition where the body can’t control or restrain an immune response, so the person’s immune cells attack their own healthy tissue. The syndrome mostly affects … Continue reading Stem Cell Agency Board Approves Funding for Rare Immune Disorder
Two Early-Stage Research Programs Targeting Cartilage Damage Get Funding from Stem Cell Agency
THIS BLOG IS ALSO AVAILABLE AS AN AUDIO CAST Darryl D'Lima: Scripps Health Every year millions of Americans suffer damage to their cartilage, either in their knee or other joints, that can eventually lead to osteoarthritis, pain and immobility. Today the governing Board of the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) approved two projects targeting … Continue reading Two Early-Stage Research Programs Targeting Cartilage Damage Get Funding from Stem Cell Agency
The Stem Cellar 